Filling device and method for automatically filling containers

Abstract

A filling machine (10) and method for automatically filling containers (100) for smoking articles with smokable loose material (M), the machine (10) comprising a delivery device (22) including metering means (40, 41) configured to deliver a predetermined amount of the loose material to each container (100), each delivery device (22) comprising a funnel-shaped conveying member (52) configured to vibrate during delivery of the loose material (M) to prevent the loose material (M) delivered by the metering means (40, 41) from accidentally remaining within the conveying member (52).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filling machine and method for automatically filling empty containers, which may be casings or capsules for smoking articles, each of which has an open end through which a fibrous, incoherent material, which may have oil and / or resin rich properties, can be admitted. The machine and method of the present invention allows for controlled automatic and precise filling of each container with very fast working cycles, which allows for high productivity. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that in the automated production of smoking articles, e.g. cigarettes, particularly using machines with high productivity, one of the important aspects to take into account and one of the technical problems to be solved is the insertion of smoking material, e.g. loose material, e.g. tobacco, other smokable substance, or a combination thereof, into containers, e.g. casings, at a filling station which may be associated with a station arranged upstream for supplying the containers, and with packaging and distribution stations arranged downstream and, optionally, with a station for packing the finished smoking articles.

[0003] With respect to the insertion of smoking material, it is known to prepare a strip of paper which encases the loose material, usually tobacco, then roll the strip to form a tubular casing enclosing the loose material, and thereafter cut the tubular casing to the size of the individual smoking articles of the desired configuration.

[0004] It is also known to use systems for placing said bulk material in containers, which use a pneumatic transfer system to transfer the bulk material from a receiving hopper into respective containers, such as casings for smoking articles, etc. Such known devices have the drawback of deteriorating the chemical and physical properties of the bulk material they process.

[0005] Known devices for filling containers with metered amounts of smokable material are also described in German Patent Application No. DE 3226654 A1 and U.S. Patent No. 3404742. The solution is to provide a system which allows preparing a predetermined amount of said material, typically less than the desired metered amount, and selectively adding one or more remaining amounts after checking the weight of the amounts involved.

[0006] However, the above known techniques do not allow automatic filling of containers to obtain finished products that contain, for example, leaf materials other than tobacco, with various particularities, particularly related to the chemical and physical properties of the materials, or that may contain, for example, resins or oils, etc. In particular, the above-mentioned substances have a tendency to adhere to the surfaces they come into contact with, making it very difficult to move the bulk material, reducing the efficiency of the equipment, which is particularly problematic when a high hourly productivity of, for example, 7,000 finished products is to be achieved.

[0007] The technical problem which the present invention seeks to solve in a new and original manner is to provide an apparatus and to perfect a method for automatically filling containers, and to achieve this with bulk material containing substances that are difficult to feed into very narrow spaces of very small dimensions, such as casings or capsules for cylindrical smoking articles, with a diameter of the order of a few millimeters, taking into account that the metering must be performed with a very high accuracy, of the order of 0.1 to 0.9 grams, and also to achieve the above-mentioned high time productivity, which implies an average production time per finished product of the order of about 0.5 seconds.

[0008] In fact, at present, there is no filling device or method in the prior art that can solve the above technical problems and achieve the above objectives.

[0009] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to complete a filling device and a filling method for automatically filling containers, such as casings or capsules for smoking articles, which are simple and highly reliable, while at the same time solving the above-mentioned technical problems and achieving the above-mentioned high productivity.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to complete a filling device and method for automatically filling containers, which prevents the loose material from adhering or sticking to the surfaces of the supply elements and allows easy transport of the loose material to each container.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for automatically filling containers which can provide very accurate and reliable metering of bulk material to each and every container being filled, so that every container contains exactly the same desired amount of bulk material.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to complete a filling apparatus and method for automatically filling containers, which allows for sequential filling of containers as well as parallel filling so that multiple containers can be filled simultaneously.

[0013] Applicant has conceived, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to achieve these and other objectives and advantages. Summary of the Invention

[0014] The invention is defined in the independent claims, which set out the particular features thereof.The dependent claims set out further features of the invention or variants of the main idea of ​​the invention.

[0015] In view of the above objectives, and in order to provide a new and original solution to the above technical problems and to achieve surprising and advantageous results, the present invention relates to a filling device for automatically filling containers with loose material of the fibrous type.

[0016] In one aspect of the invention, a filling apparatus comprises means for supplying said bulk material and one or more delivery devices configured to receive said bulk material from said supply means.

[0017] Each of the delivery devices comprises a first rotating member and a second rotating member forming a means for metering a bulk material, the first rotating member and the second rotating member being configured to cooperate with each other to deliver a desired metered amount of the bulk material to each of the containers.

[0018] In one aspect of the invention the apparatus further comprises weight measuring means for performing a weight measurement of the amount of the bulk material placed in each of the containers and control means configured to control the first rotating member and the second rotating member of the one or more delivery devices in dependence on the weight measurements performed by the weight measuring means.

[0019] In another aspect of the invention, the first rotating member is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction and at a first angular velocity, and the second rotating member is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction and at a second angular velocity different from the first angular velocity so as to convey the bulk material downwardly together with the first rotating member.

[0020] In another aspect of the invention, each of the one or more delivery devices comprises a substantially funnel-shaped conveying member located downstream from the supply means, the conveying member having a wider portion at an upper portion located below the first rotating member and the second rotating member and a narrower portion at a lower portion, the narrower portion configured and dimensioned to be selectively inserted into one of the containers.

[0021] The conveying member is vibrating and configured to vibrate during delivery of the bulk material to prevent the bulk material delivered by the first rotating member and the second rotating member from accidentally remaining within the conveying member.

[0022] In another aspect of the invention, the conveying member is connected to a corresponding actuator capable of moving the conveying member in an oscillatory manner.

[0023] In one aspect of the invention, the conveying member has a width of 150 mm measured in a horizontal section corresponding to the narrowest portion at the bottom. 2 Occupies less than a surface area.

[0024] In another aspect of the present invention, the first rotating member is mounted in a conveying cavity associated with the supply means so as to be rotatable about a first rotational axis that is substantially horizontal, and the second rotating member is mounted in the conveying cavity so as to be rotatable about a second rotational axis that is parallel to the first rotational axis, and further, the first rotating member is configured to transfer the bulk material coming from the supply means to the second rotating member, and the second rotating member is configured to push the bulk material supplied from the first rotating member to the second rotating member towards an outlet opening below it.

[0025] In another aspect of the invention, the transport cavity is formed inside a closing plate, the closing plate being removably attached to an opposing movable structure configured as a base plate to which the first rotating member and the second rotating member are attached, and the opposing movable structure is mounted to slide vertically.

[0026] In another aspect of the invention, the first rotating member has a circumferential surface provided with a plurality of peaks, the peaks being regularly spaced in the angular direction and aligned in a plurality of rows parallel to each other and to the first axis of rotation, and the second rotating member has a diameter smaller than that of the first rotating member, the second rotating member has a circumferential surface provided with a plurality of teeth, the peaks being regularly spaced in the angular direction and aligned in a plurality of rows parallel to each other and to the second axis of rotation, and the teeth being axially offset relative to the peaks.

[0027] In another aspect of the invention, the weight measuring means comprises one or more weight measuring members arranged below the one or more delivery devices in a position such that, in use, the container can be sandwiched between the delivery device and the weight measuring means.

[0028] In another aspect of the invention, the funnel-shaped wide portion is disposed directly below an outlet opening for the bulk material, the outlet opening being centrally positioned on the conveying member such that it is aligned along a vertical axis passing between the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, and a corresponding one of the one or more weight measuring members is also coaxial with the vertical axis.

[0029] In another aspect of the invention, the second angular velocity is at least an order of magnitude higher than the first angular velocity.

[0030] In another aspect of the invention, the filling device further comprises a shaping means disposed upstream from the one or more delivery devices, the shaping means configured to be selectively inserted into the empty container to eliminate any wrinkles or creases that may occur in the container.

[0031] In another aspect of the invention, the filling device further comprises a pressing means arranged downstream from the one or more delivery devices, the pressing means configured to be selectively inserted into the container at least partially filled with the bulk material to lightly press the bulk material.

[0032] In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a first filling station and at least a second filling station, each equipped with at least one of the delivery devices, the first and second filling stations being arranged side by side along the work line with the press means in between, the first filling station configured to deliver a first amount of the bulk material and the second filling station configured to deliver a second amount of the bulk material, and the press means configured to press the bulk material contained in the container before and / or after the second filling station delivers the second amount of the bulk material.

[0033] In another aspect of the invention, the pressing means comprises a first pressing member disposed in a first pressing station disposed downstream of the first filling station and upstream of the second filling station for pressing the first quantity of the bulk material before the second filling station delivers the second quantity of the bulk material.

[0034] In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a third filling station located along the line of work downstream from the second filling station.

[0035] In another aspect of the invention, the pressing means further comprises a second pressing member disposed downstream of the second filling station and upstream of the third filling station for pressing the second quantity of the bulk material before the third filling station delivers a quantity of the bulk material complementary to the first and second quantities in view of the desired metered amount of the bulk material.

[0036] In another aspect of the present invention, a filling method of the present invention for automatically filling a container with a fiber-type loose material comprises a step of supplying the loose material and a delivery step in which one or more delivery devices use a first rotating member and a second rotating member to deliver the loose material coming from the supply means to each of the containers in a desired metered amount, and the filling method further comprises a step of vibrating the funnel-shaped conveying member during the bulk material delivery step to prevent the loose material from accidentally remaining in the conveying member.

[0037] In another aspect of the invention, the filling method further comprises a weighing step in which a weighing means performs a weighing of the amount of the bulk material to be placed in each of the containers, and a control step in which a control means controls the first rotating member and the second rotating member of the one or more delivery devices depending on the weight measurements performed by the weighing means.

[0038] In another aspect of the invention, the weighing and controlling steps are preferably performed continuously during the delivering step or at programmed time intervals.

[0039] In another aspect of the invention, the filling method further comprises a shaping step performed prior to the delivery step by selectively inserting a shaping means arranged upstream from the one or more delivery devices into the empty container to eliminate any wrinkles or folds that may occur in the container.

[0040] In another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises, after the delivery step, at least one pressing step performed by a pressing means disposed downstream from the one or more delivery devices, selectively inserting the pressing means into the container at least partially filled with the bulk material to lightly press the bulk material contained in the container.

[0041] In another aspect of the invention, the delivery step includes a first partial step of filling the container with a first amount of the bulk material, the first partial step being performed at the first filling station, and at least a second partial step of filling the container with a second amount of the bulk material, the second partial step being performed at the second filling station.

[0042] In another aspect of the present invention, the delivery step further includes a third filling portion step performed at a third filling station located downstream from the second filling station and downstream from the second press member along the work line.

[0043] In another aspect of the invention, the method includes, in order, the shaping step, a first filling portion step of delivering the first amount of the bulk material at the first filling station, a first step of pressing the first amount at a first press station located downstream from the first filling station and upstream from the second filling station, a second filling portion step of delivering the second amount of the bulk material at the second filling station, a second step of pressing the second amount at a second press station located downstream from the second filling station and upstream from the third filling station, and finally, the third filling portion step of delivering an amount of bulk material complementary to the first and second amounts in view of the desired metered amount.

[0044] In another aspect of the invention, the first filling portion step delivers 25% to 35% of the desired metered amount of bulk material, the second filling portion step delivers 45% to 55% of the desired metered amount of bulk material, and the third filling portion step delivers 15% to 25% of the desired metered amount of bulk material.

[0045] In another aspect of the invention, in a preferred embodiment of the method, the first filling portion step delivers about 30% of the desired metered amount of bulk material, the second filling portion step delivers about 50% of the desired metered amount of bulk material, and the third filling portion step delivers about 20% of the desired metered amount of bulk material.

[0046] In either case, a final filling step is provided which delivers a complementary amount of bulk material to the amount already in the container, taking into account the desired metered amount to be filled into the container, this final filling step being the third filling sub-step in the above embodiment.

[0047] This distribution of the quantities to be delivered over several filling stations has the advantage that it is possible to provide a weighing element with high sensitivity and reliability, as well as a high measurement execution speed, only at the last filling station, i.e. the third filling station, which allows the earlier filling stations, i.e. the first and second filling stations, to be equipped with weighing elements with lower performance and therefore lower cost.

[0048] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description of some embodiments of the invention, given as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic diagram of a filling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a machine that may comprise or be associated with the apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a container suitable for processing by the apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic three-dimensional view of an enlarged portion of the device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional front view of the first detail of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of another detail of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus being shown in an idle position. [Figure 9] 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, in which the device is shown in the operating position; [Figure 10] 2 is an enlarged front view of another part of the device in FIG. 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is an enlarged, partially cutaway side view of another detail of the device of FIG. 1. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an example block diagram of the operation of the electronic control unit of the device of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] It should be noted that the words and terminology used in the specification and claims of this application, such as "horizontal," "vertical," "front," "rear," "high," "low," "inside," and "outside," including their deviation ranges, are merely intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention by referring to the drawings, and should in no way be used to limit the scope of the present invention or the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

[0051] In addition, those skilled in the art may recognize that certain dimensions or features in the drawings may be non-conventional or scaled or drawn differently from the actual scale to provide an easily understandable version of the invention. Where dimensions and / or values ​​are specified in the following description, the dimensions and / or values ​​are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the invention unless such dimensions and / or values ​​are stated in the appended claims.

[0052] For ease of understanding, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to refer to identical common elements throughout the drawings, and it is understood that elements and features of one embodiment can be readily combined or incorporated into other embodiments without the need for detailed description.

[0053] With reference to FIG. 1, a filling device 10 of the present invention for automatically filling containers 100 (FIG. 3), such as casings or capsules for smoking articles, is configured to be associated with or part of a machine 200 (FIG. 2) for making smoking articles, such as cigarettes or capsules.

[0054] The device 10 is configured to fill a container 100 with a fibrous material such as loose material M of an oily and / or resinous nature, such as chopped or crushed leaf material derived from tobacco or other plants, or other materials, such as smokable types of materials, or combinations thereof.

[0055] In the block diagram of Fig. 2, the machine 200 is shown in a schematic but non-limiting manner, comprising, in this order, a supply station 201 arranged for example to supply containers 100, then a device 10 constituting a filling station, then a packaging station 202 arranged for example to properly close the filled containers 100 and package them to produce a finished product, such as a smoking article or a capsule, and then a distribution station 203 for example to send said finished product towards a packing station 205, possibly external to the machine 200. The machine 200 also comprises, but is not limited to, a suitable transport device 206 capable of transporting the containers 100 along the entire work line from the supply station 201 (left side in Fig. 2) to the packing station 205 (right side in Fig. 2), preferably in a linear and horizontal direction, for example along a work direction X.

[0056] The supply station 201, the packaging station 202, the distribution station 203, the packing station 205 and the transport device 206 may be of any type or types that may be developed in the future, and the transport device 206 may alternatively be of the type described, for example, in the related patent application for an industrial invention filed by the same applicant as the present patent application.

[0057] For example, the transport device 205 comprises a transport element 207 having the shape and function of a shuttle arranged to slide in the working direction X on fixed guides 209. In this example, the transport element 207 has four seatings 210 of hollow and through-shaped, each seating 210 being for example frusto-conical and having dimensions to fit with the dimensions of the container 100 or at least the dimensions of the lower part of the container 100. In this example, the dimensions of each seating 210 are such that when each container 100 is inserted in the seating 210, the container 100 not only protrudes a few mm from the top surface of the transport element 207 but also protrudes a few mm from the bottom surface of the transport element 207 (Figures 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10).

[0058] It is clear that the number of receivers 210 can be other than four and that the number of receivers 210 influences the time productivity of the machine 200. In fact, if a given cycle time TC in seconds is required to carry out a work cycle at each of the various stations 201, 202, 203 and 205 and the apparatus 10, or at a slower speed, the time productivity of the machine 200 is equal to 3,600 divided by the cycle time TC multiplied by the number of receivers 210 of each transport element 207. In practice, the work is carried out in parallel at the four receivers 210.

[0059] Each receptacle 210 is substantially symmetrical about a vertical axis Y and is configured to receive a container 100 inserted vertically downward from above (FIGS. 4, 5, 9 and 10).

[0060] The distance D between two adjacent receiving portions 210 is determined during the design phase of the device 10 and / or machine 200, which is suitable for processing multiple containers 100 as will be explained in detail below.

[0061] As a non-limiting example, the machine 200 is capable of producing each product, for example smoking articles or capsules, in a very short time, i.e. with a cycle time TC of about 2 seconds, so that the hourly productivity of the machine 200 is precisely about 7,000 smoking articles, since in each station 201, 202, 203 and 205 of the machine 200 and in the device 10, for example four containers 100 are processed simultaneously and processed in parallel to form filled smoking articles or capsules.

[0062] Before describing the device 10 and its operation in detail, an example of a container 100 will now be described (FIG. 3). In particular, in the following description, the container 100 will be described as a casing for the production of smoking articles, but it could also be a capsule or any other type of container suitable for containing loose material M.

[0063] Each container 100 is made from a sheet material, such as very thin paper, or other material suitable for making tobacco or other smokable products, and typically includes a filter 101 of a known type.

[0064] The container 100 has a length L that can vary depending on the resulting smoking article, and is, for example, from about 60 mm to about 150 mm.

[0065] Each container 100 may be frusto-conical and may have a first end 102 for the filter 101 and a second open end 103 having a larger diameter than the first end, and is configured to receive the bulk material M. On average, the diameter of each container 100 is on the order of a few mm, similar to the diameter of a traditional cigarette, such as 6-8 mm.

[0066] When the container 100 is a capsule, for example, the container 100 may be frusto-conical or hemispherical, have a closed first end and an open second end opposite the first end, and be configured to contain the bulk material M.

[0067] The apparatus 10 (FIG. 1) comprises a series of operational units mounted on a fixed structure 11, each of which is arranged at a respective work station. The operational units and the work stations are arranged successively along a work line parallel to the work direction X, and the arrangement of the operational units and the work stations on the work line is such that they intervene in sequence from left to right as viewed in FIG. 1, as will be apparent from the description of the operation of the apparatus given below.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, the operational unit includes at least a first filling assembly 12 configured to fill a container 100 with a bulk material M (FIG. 3), which will be described in more detail below.

[0069] In another embodiment of the present invention, upstream of the first filling assembly 12 is a shaping assembly 13 (FIG. 1).

[0070] In another embodiment of the invention, the operational unit comprises a second filling assembly 14 and possibly a third filling assembly 15, which are similar to the first filling assembly 12 described above.

[0071] In another embodiment of the present invention, the working unit comprises a first pressing means or first press assembly 16 arranged downstream of the first filling assembly 12 and, optionally, a second pressing means or second press assembly 17 arranged downstream of the second filling assembly 15.

[0072] The first filling assembly 12 (FIG. 8) comprises a movable structure 19 which slides vertically on a vertical guide 20 of the fixed structure 11 .

[0073] A hopper 21 suitable for containing the bulk material M used to fill the container 100 is attached to the upper part of the movable structure 19, below which four delivery devices 22 (Figures 4 and 5) are provided, each delivery device 22 being configured to fill a container 100 placed in a receiving portion 210 of the transport member 207.

[0074] The first filling assembly 12 also comprises a weight measuring means, for example configured as a weight measuring unit 23 (Figures 5, 6, 8 and 9), which is arranged below the four delivery devices 22 and is suitable for measuring the weight of each container 100 during a first filling step, which is performed in a step of delivering bulk material M into the container 100, as will be described in detail below.

[0075] The hopper 21 at least comprises a vertical front wall 24, a vertical rear wall 25, and a bottom 26, and the bottom 26 is inclined downward at an angle α of, for example, about 30° to about 45° (FIG. 8).

[0076] Four supply members 27 are arranged within the hopper 21, and each supply member 27 is arranged along a respective supply axis S parallel to the bottom 26. The hopper 21 and the four supply members 27 together constitute a means for supplying the bulk material M.

[0077] The lower part of the front wall 24 of the hopper 21 is provided with four through holes 29 (Figure 5), which are substantially centered with respect to the feed axis S and are configured to allow the outflow of the bulk material M moved by the feed member 27 towards the corresponding delivery device 22.

[0078] Each supply member 27 comprises a moving element 30 (Figures 4 and 5), for example helical, attached to the rotating shaft of a first actuator 31 (Figure 8) attached to the rear wall 25 of the hopper 21, which rotates the moving element 30 to move the bulk material M forward towards the corresponding hole 29 without causing any substantial compression of the material itself.

[0079] In one variant, not shown in the drawings, four moving elements 30 can be rotated simultaneously by one first actuator 31 .

[0080] A groove is formed on the inner surface of the bottom 26, i.e., within the hopper 21 and below each moving element 30 (FIGS. 4 and 5), which is configured to encourage the outflow of the bulk material M towards the corresponding hole 29.

[0081] In one embodiment of the present invention, the four delivery devices 22 are configured to share the same plate 32, which is substantially vertical, attached to the movable structure 19 (Figure 8) and configured to have four substantially vertical conveying cavities 33 (Figures 4 and 5), one for each delivery device 22, with four holes 29 opening at the top of the conveying cavity 33. Each conveying cavity 33 is configured to vertically guide the bulk material M coming from the hopper 21 and is configured so as not to hinder the downward fall of the bulk material M.

[0082] The four conveying cavities 33 are closed at the front by a closing plate 35 (Figure 8), which may be made of a transparent material, such as plastic or glass, to allow visualization of the flow of bulk material M inside it.

[0083] Each conveying cavity 33 is formed at its lower part with an outlet opening 36 (FIGS. 5 and 7) aligned along a vertical axis V, and in the vicinity of the outlet opening 36, two receiving parts 37 and 38, a first receiving part and a second receiving part, are formed, which are arranged opposite each other on the vertical axis V. In particular, the two receiving parts 37 and 38 are partially defined by cylindrical surfaces and share a common zone. Two metering rollers 40 and 41 are rotatably mounted on the two receiving parts 37 and 38, which rotate in opposite directions about two substantially horizontal rotation axes T and U, respectively, which are arranged opposite each other on the vertical axis V. Each rotation axis T is aligned substantially vertically with a corresponding hole 29. In this example, each first metering roller 40 is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction to convey the bulk material M coming from the hopper 21 towards the corresponding outlet opening 36 .

[0084] The four vertical axes V are spaced apart from one another by a distance D equal to the distance between the receivers 210 of the same transport member 207 .

[0085] In this embodiment, the rotation axes T and U of each delivery device 22 are on the same horizontal plane P1 or P2. Furthermore, to optimize the overall dimensions and in view of the distance D between the vertical axes V, the horizontal planes P1 or P2 of each delivery device 22 are vertically offset from each other. For example, referring to FIG. 5, the horizontal plane P1 associated with the first and third delivery devices 22 from the left side is below the horizontal plane P2 associated with the second and fourth delivery devices 22.

[0086] The first metering roller 40 of each delivery device 22 is provided on its circumferential surface with a number of peaks 42 (FIG. 7) which are regularly spaced in the angular direction, for example approximately every 12°, and which are aligned in a number of rows parallel to the axis of rotation T. The outer diameter of the peaks 42 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the corresponding first receiving part 37.

[0087] The second metering roller 41 of each delivery device 22 has a smaller diameter than the first metering roller 40 and is provided on its circumferential surface with a number of teeth 43 which are regularly spaced in the angular direction, for example approximately every 60°, and which are aligned in rows parallel to the axis of rotation U and axially offset with respect to the peak 42. The outer diameter of the teeth 43 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the corresponding second receiving part 38.

[0088] Further, in each delivery device 22, the center distance between the rotation axes T and U, the diameters of the metering rollers 40 and 41, and the outer diameters of the tips 42 and teeth 43 are set so that the tips 42 and teeth 43 intersect each other along the vertical axis V without contacting each other.

[0089] The first metering roller 40 is configured to rotate at a relatively slow first angular velocity ω1 of the order of approximately 25 rpm and has the function of transporting the bulk material M coming from the hole 29 together with the sharpened portion 42 and sending it towards the second metering roller 41, which is configured to rotate in the opposite direction, i.e. counterclockwise, unlike the first metering roller 40, at a relatively fast second angular velocity ω2 of the order of approximately 750 rpm.

[0090] Furthermore, within each conveying cavity 33, a sector 45 adjacent to the second receiving portion 38 in the first receiving portion 37 defines a calibrated path for the bulk material M so that the amount of bulk material M supplied from the first metering roller 40 to the second metering roller 41 can be easily controlled depending on the magnitude of rotation of the first metering roller 40 to perform accurate metering of the bulk material M.

[0091] The second metering roller 41, rotating at a relatively high second angular velocity ω2, has the function of completely removing the bulk material M in contact with the first metering roller 40 and pushing the bulk material M downwards substantially in the direction of the vertical axis V into the outlet opening 36.

[0092] The four first metering rollers 40 are selectively rotated by four respective second actuators 46 connected to the first metering rollers 40 by four respective axles 44 (FIG. 8). The four second metering rollers 41 are selectively rotated by four respective third actuators 47 connected to the second metering rollers 41 by four respective axles 48. For simplicity, only two second actuators 46 and two third actuators 47 are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 8.

[0093] Alternatively, two or more metering rollers 40 and / or 41 can be served by one actuator or another number of actuators.

[0094] Within each of the four conveying cavities 33 there is provided an agitating member 49 (Figures 4 and 5) configured to encourage the descent of the bulk material M towards the corresponding first metering roller 40, the agitating member 49 for example comprising or consisting of a vertical rod, possibly curved.

[0095] The four agitating members 49 (FIG. 5) are, for example, mounted on a horizontal bar 50 arranged above the plate 32. A fourth actuator 51 is connected to the horizontal bar 50 in order to move the horizontal bar 50 so that said four agitating members 49 can oscillate and / or move within the corresponding four conveying cavities 33.

[0096] Each delivery device 22 also includes a substantially funnel-shaped conveying member 52 (FIGS. 5, 7, 8 and 9) disposed below and adjacent the exit opening 36 and coaxial with a corresponding vertical axis V.

[0097] Each conveying member 52 is configured to receive bulk material M arriving from the outlet opening 36 and convey it into the container 100. In particular, each conveying member 52 has a cylindrical lower portion 53 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the second end 103 (FIGS. 3 and 7) of the container 100. By way of non-limiting example, a surface area measured at a horizontal section corresponding to the lower portions 53 may range from about 75 to about 115 mm 2 In any case, it is about 150 mm 2 The terminal end of the lower portion 53 is truncated obliquely in a direction opposite to the working direction X so as to form a pointed end 54 (FIG. 5). Indeed, during operation of the device 10, a portion of each lower portion 53 is selectively introduced into the second end 103 of the container 100, as will be explained in more detail below, and this configuration of the lower portions 53 facilitates the introduction of the lower portions 53 into the container 100.

[0098] The four conveying members 52 are connected to one or more fifth actuators 55 (Figures 8 and 9), which can vibrate the conveying members 52 to encourage the flow of the bulk material M downwards and thereby into the corresponding containers 100.

[0099] The selective vertical movement of the movable structure 19 relative to the vertical guide 20 for displacing the lower parts 53 of the four conveying members 52 bidirectionally between an idle position PR1 (FIG. 8) of the conveying members 52, where the lower parts 53 are raised several mm higher than the container 100 below, and a lower operating position PO1 (FIG. 9) where the lower parts 53 are inserted into the second end 103 of the container 100, is governed by a sixth actuator 56 (FIG. 8) connected to a first slider 57 sliding on the vertical guide 20. The first slider 57 is thus part of the movable structure 19. The travel range C of the first slider 57 is equal to the distance between the two positions PR1 and PO1 and depends on the length L of the container 100.

[0100] A weighing unit 23 (FIGS. 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9) is disposed below the transport member 207 and is partially housed in a lower cavity 211 of the fixed guide 209.

[0101] The weight measuring unit 23 comprises a support plate 59 attached to the fixed structure 11, on which four weight measuring members 60 are attached coaxially with four vertical axes V, each weight measuring member 60 comprising or consisting of, for example, a load cell of a self-evident type.

[0102] Each weighing member 60 (FIG. 6) comprises an inclined wall 61 configured to follow the second end 102 of the container 100 on said inclined wall 61 while said container 100 on said inclined wall 61 is moved in the working direction X by the transport member 207. The container 100 stops in a substantially central position with respect to the weighing member 60 in order to be weighed both when empty and when at least partially filled with the bulk material M.

[0103] In another embodiment not shown in the drawings, each weight measuring member 60 is configured to be displaced axially by a corresponding actuator between an idle position slightly spaced from the corresponding first end 102 of the container 100 and an elevated operating position in which it is raised into contact with the first end 102 for weighing the container 100 both when empty and when at least partially filled with bulk material M.

[0104] The shaping assembly 13 (Figures 1, 10 and 11) is located next to the supply station 201 (Figure 2) and has the function of eliminating any wrinkles or folds in the container 100, particularly in the case of casings for smoking articles as described with reference to Figure 3, prior to the filling process of the casings as will be described in detail below.

[0105] The fairing assembly 13 (FIGS. 10 and 11) comprises a substantially horizontal support element 62 mounted on a second slider 63 which slides vertically on a vertical guide 65 of the fixed structure 11. Four identical conical elements 66 are mounted on the support element 62, each having a shape and size that substantially matches the shape and size of the interior part of the container 100. The four conical elements 66 are arranged on respective vertical axes R spaced apart from each other by a distance D equal to the distance between the receivers 210 of the same transport member 207.

[0106] A seventh actuator 67 (FIG. 11) of a self-evident type is connected to the second slider 63 for controlling the selective descent of the second slider 63 from an idle position PR2, in which the conical element 66 is spaced from the container 100 below, to a lowering operating position PO2, in which the conical element 66 is inserted into the container 100, for example up to the filter 101 of the container 100, or vice versa.

[0107] Upstream and / or downstream of the shaping assembly 13 may be associated with one or more control devices 69 suitable for inspecting the shape of the container 100, only one of which is shown diagrammatically in FIG.

[0108] Each press assembly 16 and 17 (Figures 1 and 12) is substantially similar to the shaping assembly 13 except for the four conical elements 66 described above, and in the press assemblies 16 and 17, four vertical bars 70 are provided instead of the conical elements 66, and these vertical bars 70 are, for example, cylindrical and have the function of selectively entering a container 100 containing loose material M to lightly press the loose material M.

[0109] Each of the four vertical bars 70 is disposed along a corresponding vertical axis W. The four vertical axes W are spaced apart from one another by a distance D equal to the distance between the receivers 210 of the same transport member 207.

[0110] Each press assembly 16 and 17 comprises a substantially horizontal support element 71 attached to a third slider 72 sliding on a vertical guide 73 of the fixed structure 11 and actuated by an eighth actuator 75 .

[0111] The four vertical bars 70 are attached to support elements 71 and are vertically movable along corresponding vertical axes W in both directions between an elevated idle position PR3 away from the container 100 below and a descending operating position PO3 in which a portion of the end of the vertical bar 70 is inserted into the container 100 to lightly press the bulk material M.

[0112] The advancement of each of the four vertical bars 70 depends on the amount of bulk material M contained in its corresponding container 100 .

[0113] The device 10 also comprises means for controlling the operation of the device, for example configured as an electronic control unit 76 (FIG. 13), in particular an electronic control unit 76 of a programmable type, configured to control one or more of the actuators 31, 46, 47, 51, 55, 56, 67 and 75, or all of the actuators, and to receive signals from the respective controllers 69 and / or from other sensors or controllers, not shown in the drawings, associated with the various assemblies of the device 10. Other control elements, not shown, connected to the electronic control unit 76 or to the electronic control unit 76, for example other control units of the machine 200, may also be responsible for the transport device 205.

[0114] In general, any movement performed using any of the actuators described above may be achieved by electronic motors or other actuation methods, for example pneumatic or hydrodynamic.

[0115] Furthermore, all of the movements of the various components of the operational unit described above may be slaved to one or more controllers (not shown) of known type which may send one or more feedback signals to the electronic control unit 76 which may in turn control the different actuators described above to optimize the method for filling the multiple containers 100.

[0116] The operation of the apparatus 10 described herein corresponds to the method of the present invention and comprises the following steps:

[0117] Starting from an initial state in which all the above operational units are in an idle position, in order to automatically fill the multiple containers 100 with bulk material M, the electronic control unit 76 (Figure 2) directly or indirectly commands the transport device 205 to move the first transport member 207, loaded with four containers 100 in each receptacle 210 (Figure 1), to the first shaping station A1 and position it just below the shaping assembly 13 so that the axes Y of the four receptacles 210 are aligned with the four vertical axes R of the conical elements 66.

[0118] A control device 69 (FIG. 11) inspects the shape of each empty container 100 and, if a defective container 100 is present, sends a signal to the electronic control unit 76 to prevent the container 100 from being filled and to prevent any waste of bulk material M.

[0119] The electronic control unit 76 then commands the fairing assembly 13 (FIGS. 1, 10 and 11) to perform a fairing step in which the seventh actuator 67 (FIG. 11) lowers the second slider 63 together with the four conical elements 66 attached thereto from the idle position PR2 to the operating position PO2, so that the first conical element 66 enters the container 100 to remove any wrinkles or folds, after which the first conical element 66 returns to the idle position PR2.

[0120] The above shaping steps are performed with a cycle time TC of about 2 seconds.

[0121] Once the above-mentioned shaping step is completed, the first transport member 207 (FIG. 1) is displaced by one pitch PT towards the first filling assembly 12, i.e. towards the right in the working direction X. In this example, the above-mentioned pitch PT is equal to four times the distance D between two adjacent receivers 210 of the transport member 207. In this way, the first transport member 207 reaches the first filling station A2 and is located exactly below the four delivery devices 22 and above the weighing unit 23. At the same time, the second transport member 207 is brought to the first shaping station A1, where the first shaping assembly 13 performs a shaping step similar to the above-mentioned one on the other four corresponding containers 100 located in the receivers 210 of the second transport member 207.

[0122] In the first filling station A2, the four axes Y of the four receivers 210 of the first transport member 207 coincide with four vertical axes V (FIG. 5).

[0123] When displacing towards the first filling station A2, the container 100 in the receiving portion 210 slides its second end 102 up the inclined wall 61 (Figures 5 and 6), comes to rest on the top of the weight measuring member 60 and rises until it stops substantially at the center of the weight measuring member 60.

[0124] The electronic control unit 76 then commands a first weighing step in which the still empty containers 100 are weighed, detecting the weight or tare of each container 100, and essentially simultaneously commands a first delivery step while controlling the shaping step at the first shaping station A1.

[0125] In another embodiment, the electronic control unit 76 activates corresponding actuators which lift and carry the four weight measuring members 60 towards the corresponding first ends 102 of the containers 100 and then appropriately lift the containers 100 to detect the weight of each container 100.

[0126] At the same time, the electronic control unit 76 commands the start of the delivery step, in particular the start of the first filling part step, in which the sixth actuator 56 first lowers the mobile structure 19 so that the lower part 53 of the conveying member 52 enters the second end 103 of the container 100 (operating position PO1 in FIG. 9 ). Advantageously, while the first transport member 207 is still moving towards the first filling station A2, the electronic control unit 76 commands the sixth actuator 56 to lower the mobile structure 19 so that the tip 54 (FIGS. 5 and 7) of the lower part 53 first enters the second end 103 of the container 100 from substantially the center of said container 100. In this way, the relative movement between the lowering of the tip 54 and the advancement of the container 100 allows a possible correction of the second end 103 of the container 100 by the lower part, thus preventing the container from being wrinkled or folded.

[0127] It should be noted that the first filling portion step is performed while the electronic control unit 76 continues to keep the weight measurement step activated so as to continuously detect the weight of each container 100 associated with each corresponding weight measurement unit 60.

[0128] Immediately thereafter, or simultaneously, the electronic control unit 76 commands the operation of the actuators 31, 46, 47, 51 and 55 which respectively drive the moving element 30 in the hopper 21, the stirring member 49 in the conveying cavity 33, the metering rollers 40 and 41, and the conveying member 52 to perform a first metering fill of the desired amount of bulk material M into the container 100.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electronic control unit 76 can selectively operate each first actuator 31 so that a predetermined amount of bulk material M is always present on the corresponding first metering roller 40 within the corresponding conveying cavity 33.

[0130] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electronic control unit 76 can selectively operate the fourth actuator 51 to drive the stirring member 49 at periodic timing, which may be longer than the cycle time TC.

[0131] In one embodiment of the invention where only a first loading assembly 12 is provided, the total amount of loose material M that each smoking article has at the end of the method is delivered to each container 100, for example about 1 gram.

[0132] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the complete filling of the containers 100 is performed using three filling assemblies 12, 14 and 15, whereby in the first filling partial step, approximately 1 / 3 of the total amount of bulk material M, specifically, for example, approximately 0.30 to 0.33 grams, is placed in each container 100.

[0133] In particular, the downward sliding of the bulk material M into the conveying cavity 33 in each delivery device 22 is maximized by the agitating member 49. Each first metering roller 40 uses its sharp point 42 to collect the bulk material M present in the conveying cavity 33 and transport it towards the second metering roller 41, which pushes this bulk material M towards the outlet opening 36. The vibration of the lower conveying member 52 encourages the sliding of all the bulk material M towards the corresponding container 100.

[0134] The actual amount of bulk material M delivered to each container 100, regardless of the amount of bulk material M delivered by each supply member 27 towards the corresponding conveying cavity 33 per unit time, is directly proportional to the magnitude of rotation of the first metering roller 40 and is constantly measured by the corresponding weight measuring member 60.

[0135] Indeed, the electronic control unit 76 continues to perform the weighing steps during each filling portion step, and when the container 100 reaches the desired weight, the electronic control unit 76 stops the delivery of the bulk material M and deactivates the corresponding actuators 31, 46, 47, 51 and 55. Immediately thereafter, the electronic control unit 76 commands the sixth actuator 56 to move the movable structure 19 upwards and back to the idle position PR1 (Figure 8).

[0136] The end of each filling part step of each delivery device 22 is commanded by the electronic control unit 76 on the basis of both the data provided by the weighing member 60 during the weighing step and on the respective statistical data giving a prediction of the amount of bulk material M actually conveyed to the container 100 after the command to stop the first metering roller 40 and the second metering roller 41, so that a very accurate metering of the bulk material M in each container 100 can be realized. In practice, depending on the vertical distance between the metering rollers 40 and 41, which are in different horizontal planes (P1 and P2) respectively, and the container 100, there may be a residual amount of inhomogeneous bulk material M that falls into the container 100 after the stopping of the metering rollers 40 and 41.

[0137] The above first filling portion step and weighing step are also performed with an overall cycle time TC of about 2 seconds.

[0138] Once these steps are completed, the first transport element 207 (FIG. 1) is displaced further towards the first press assembly 16, i.e. to the right in the working direction X, by one pitch PT. The first transport element 207 thus reaches the first filling station A3 and is located just below the four vertical bars 70. At the same time, the third transport element 207 is transported to the first shaping station A1, which performs a shaping step similar to the above-mentioned one on the four other corresponding containers 100 arranged in the receiver 210 of the third transport element 207, and the second transport element 207 is transported to the first filling station A2, and the first filling assembly 12 performs a first filling part step similar to the above-mentioned one on the four other corresponding containers 100 arranged in the receiver 210 of the second transport element 207, and at the same time performs a weighing step similar to the above-mentioned weighing step.

[0139] In the first press station A3, the four axes Y of the four receivers 210 of the first transport member 207 coincide with the four vertical axes W of the vertical bars 70 of the first press assembly 16.

[0140] While the electronic control unit 76 commands the shaping and weighing steps and the first delivery portion steps at the two stations A1 and A2 as described above, it also commands a first pressing step by the first press assembly 16 at the first pressing station A3. In particular, the electronic control unit 76 commands the eighth actuator 75 (FIGS. 1 and 12) to lower the four vertical bars 70 from the idle position PR3 to the operating position PO3 to partially deposit the bulk material M contained in the container 100 into the corresponding container 100, so as to lightly press the bulk material M contained in the container 100 to make it more uniform without excessively crushing it.

[0141] The electronic control unit 76 then commands the eighth actuator 75 to return the four vertical bars 70 to the idle position PR3. This first pressing step also takes place with a cycle time TC of about 2 seconds.

[0142] In one embodiment of the invention, the first pressing step is followed by a second filling portion step with a correlating weighing step, and optionally further by a third filling portion step with a corresponding weighing step.

[0143] In this example, in the second filling portion step, the electronic control unit 76 commands the second filling assembly 14 to dispense about half of the total amount of bulk material M, specifically, for example, about 0.5 grams, into each container 100. In the third filling portion step, the electronic control unit 76 commands the third filling assembly 15 to dispense a complementary amount of bulk material to the material already in each container 100, in order to reach the set total amount of bulk material M. In this example, said complementary amount can be equal to about 0.2 grams.

[0144] Furthermore, if there are three filling portion steps and an equal number of weight measurement steps, a second press step is performed between the second and third of these steps using a second press assembly 17 (Figure 1).

[0145] In this case, the process proceeds in the same manner as above, with all the support members 207 being displaced one pitch PT from left to right at a time, and first the first support member 207 of these support members 207 is brought to the second filling station A4 corresponding to the second filling assembly 14, followed by all the other support members 207, where optionally a second weighing step and a second filling portion step substantially similar to the first weighing step and the first filling portion step described above can be performed, after which the support member 207 is brought to the second pressing station A5 corresponding to the second pressing assembly 17, where optionally a second pressing step substantially similar to the first pressing step described above can be performed, and finally the support member 207 is brought to the third filling station A6 corresponding to the third filling assembly 15, where optionally a third weighing step and a third filling portion step substantially similar to the first weighing step and the first filling portion step described above can be performed.

[0146] At the end of all the above steps, the container 100 is filled with the desired amount of bulk material M and the support member 207 can be transferred from the apparatus 10 to a packaging station 202 (FIG. 2) of an adjacent machine 200, for example using a transport device 206.

[0147] A suitably programmed electronic control unit 76 can simultaneously manage all of the various forming, folding and delivery steps, including the various sub-steps of sequential filling and pressing described above, in coordination with the advancement of the transport member 207 along the fixed guide 209.

[0148] Thus, all of the above objectives, including accurate filling of each container 100 with bulk material M and high hourly productivity of approximately 7,000 filled containers 100 corresponding to a similar amount of finished product, are achieved by the filling apparatus 10 and filling method.

[0149] It will be apparent that modifications and / or additional components or steps may be made to the filling apparatus 10 and method for automatically filling containers described above without departing from the field and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0150] For example, in a simplified embodiment of the present invention, the number of delivery devices 22 provided in each filling assembly 12, 14 and 15 can be other than four, specifically only one, or more than four, and the same applies to the shaping assembly and the press assembly.

[0151] Also, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, it is clear to those skilled in the art that many other equivalent embodiments of the filling device and method for automatically filling containers can certainly be realized. The purpose of the parenthetical signs in the appended claims is only to facilitate reading and should not be considered as limiting the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A filling device (10) for automatically filling a fibrous, bar-shaped material (M) into a container (100), comprising: means (21, 27) for supplying said bar-shaped material (M); one or more delivery devices (22) configured to receive said bar-shaped material (M) from said supply means (21, 27); wherein each of said delivery devices (22) comprises a first rotating member (40) and a second rotating member (41); said first rotating member (40) and said second rotating member (41) cooperate with each other to deliver a desired, metered amount of said bar-shaped material (M) to each of said containers (100); each of said delivery devices (22) comprises a substantially funnel-shaped conveying member (52) disposed downstream of said supply means (21, 27); said conveying member (52) has a wide-width portion at the top disposed below said first rotating member (40) and said second rotating member (41), and a narrow-width portion (53) at the bottom; said narrow-width portion (53) is configured and dimensioned to be selectively inserted into any one of said containers (100); said conveying member (52) is configured to vibrate during delivery of said bar-shaped material (M) to prevent said bar-shaped material (M) delivered by said first rotating member (40) and said second rotating member (41) from accidentally remaining in said conveying member (52). A filling device (10) characterized by the above.

2. Said first rotating member (40) is configured to rotate in a first rotation direction and at a first angular velocity (ω1); Said second rotating member (41) is configured to rotate in a second rotation direction opposite to said first rotation direction and at a second angular velocity (ω2) different from said first angular velocity (ω1) so as to convey said bar-shaped material (M) downward together with said first rotating member (40). The filling device (10) according to Claim 1.

3. Said conveying member (52) is connected to a corresponding actuator (55) capable of moving said conveying member (52) to vibrate it. The filling device (10) according to Claim 1.

4. The conveying member (52) occupies a surface area of less than 150 mm measured in the horizontal section corresponding to the narrow-width part (53) at the lower part. ２ ​ The filling device (10) according to Claim 3.

5. The first rotating member (40) is rotatably mounted in a transport cavity (33) associated with the supply means (21, 27) about a first rotation axis (T) substantially in the horizontal direction, and the second rotating member (41) is rotatably mounted in the transport cavity (33) about a second rotation axis (U) parallel to the first rotation axis (T). The transport cavity (33) is formed inside a closing plate (35). The closing plate (35) is removably attached to the opposite movable structure (19). The movable structure (19) is configured as a base plate to which the first rotating member (40) and the second rotating member (41) are attached. The filling device (10) according to claim 1.

6. The filling device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the opposite movable structure (19) is mounted so as to slide in the vertical direction.

7. The outlet opening (36) is arranged at the center of the transport member (52) and aligned along a vertical axis (V) passing between the first rotation axis (T) and the second rotation axis (U). The filling device (10) according to claim 5.

8. A plurality of sharp portions (42) are provided on the circumferential surface of the first rotating member (40). The sharp portions (42) are distributed at regular intervals in the angular direction and aligned in a plurality of parallel rows. The second rotating member (41) has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first rotating member (40). A plurality of teeth (43) are provided on the circumferential surface of the second rotating member (41). The teeth (43) are distributed at regular intervals in the angular direction, aligned in a plurality of parallel rows, and axially offset with respect to the sharp portions (42). The filling device (10) according to claim 1.

9. Weighing means (23) for weighing the amount of the bulk material (M) to be placed in each container (100), and Control means (76) configured to control the first rotating member (40) and the second rotating member (41) of the one or more delivery devices (22) depending on the weighing performed by the weighing means (23). further comprising. The filling device (10) according to claim 1.

10. further comprising shaping means (13, 66) arranged upstream of the one or more delivery devices (22). The shaping means (13, 66) is configured to be selectively inserted into the empty container (100) to eliminate wrinkles or folds that may occur in the container (100). The filling device (10) according to claim 1.

11. It further includes pressing means (16, 17) arranged downstream of the one or more delivery devices (22), The pressing means (16, 17) is configured to be selectively inserted into the container (100) at least partially filled with the bar-shaped material (M) to press the bar-shaped material (M). The filling device (10) according to claim 1.

12. It includes a first filling station (A2) each provided with at least one of the delivery devices (22) and at least one second filling station (A4), The stations are arranged side by side along the work line with the pressing means (16) sandwiched between the stations, The first filling station is configured to deliver a first quantity of the bar-shaped material (M), and the second filling station is configured to deliver a second quantity of the bar-shaped material (M), The pressing means (16, 17) is configured to press the first quantity of the bar-shaped material (M) in the container (100) before and / or after the second filling station (A4) delivers the second quantity of the bar-shaped material (M). The filling device (10) according to claim 11.

13. A filling method for automatically filling a container (100) with a fibrous bar-shaped material (M), comprising: a step of supplying the bar-shaped material (M); a delivery step in which one or more delivery devices (22) each provided with a first rotating member (40) and a second rotating member (41) deliver the bar-shaped material (M) arriving from the supply means (21, 27) to each container (100) in a desired metered amount; and having Each of the delivery devices (22) includes a substantially funnel-shaped conveying member (52), The conveying member (52) has a wide-width portion arranged below the first rotating member (40) and the second rotating member (41) at the top and a narrow-width portion (53), The narrow-width portion (53) is arranged in the vicinity of any one of the containers (100). ​ The filling method further includes a step of vibrating the conveying member (52) during the delivery step of the bar-shaped material (M) to prevent the bar-shaped material (M) from accidentally remaining in the conveying member (52). A filling method characterized by the above.

14. A weight measurement step in which the weight measurement means (23) measures the weight of the amount of the bar-shaped material (M) to be placed in each container (100); A control step in which the control means (76) controls the first rotating member (40) and the second rotating member (41) of the one or more delivery devices (22) depending on the weight measurement performed by the weight measurement means (23); further comprising: The filling method according to claim 13.

15. A shaping step performed before the delivery step by the shaping means (13, 66), wherein the shaping means (13, 66) arranged upstream of the one or more delivery devices (22) is selectively inserted into the empty container (100) to eliminate any wrinkles or folds that may occur in the container (100). The filling method according to claim 13.

16. After the delivery step, at least one pressing step performed by pressing means (16, 17) arranged downstream of the one or more delivery devices (22), the pressing means (16, 17) being selectively inserted into the container (100) at least partially filled with the bar-shaped material (M) to press the bar-shaped material (M) contained in the container (100). The filling method according to claim 13.

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