A conveying device and method for automatically transporting objects such as smoking supplies or their components.

Abstract

A device (10) and method for conveying objects which are smoking articles or elements thereof, said device (10) comprising a plurality of conveying members (12) each configured to convey said objects from an initial position to a final position along a work line. A first guide (22) parallel to said work line is configured to sequentially guide said conveying members (12) from said initial position to said final position, and a second guide (23) parallel to said first guide (22) is configured to sequentially guide said conveying members (12) from said final position to said initial position. Rotary displacement members (38, 39) are configured to selectively displace said conveying members (12) from one of said two guides (22, 23) to the other.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically transporting an object, for example, a smoking article such as a cigarette, or a component thereof, for example, a casing, by movement of a transport member in an automated work line or machine where objects can be arranged using, for example, automated members.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] It is known that in the automated production of smoking articles such as cigarettes, particularly using high-productivity machines, one of the aspects to be considered and one of the technical problems to be overcome is the transport of smoking articles to and from one or more workstations.

[0003] The workstation may comprise, for example, a feed station in which a containment material, usually very thin paper or other suitable material, possibly in the form of a casing containing a filter, is arranged on or in one or more moving members. Furthermore, a filling station, in which a loose material such as a smokable substance, for example tobacco, other smokable substances, or a combination thereof, can be deposited or inserted into the containment material, can be associated with the workstation.

[0004] A packaging station, a delivery station, and optionally a station for packing the smoking articles can also be associated with the filling station.

[0005] With regard to the technical problem of transporting smoking articles, it is known to provide one or more transport members for placing the smoking articles. The transport members containing the smoking articles are then moved between various work stations to complete their manufacture.

[0006] To limit the size of known machines used to automatically manufacture smoking supplies, conveying devices are commonly used that typically have a work segment from start to finish and a return segment forming a reverse path, equipped with a conveyor belt or other rotating member. Typically, the return segment is just below the work segment. One drawback of these known devices is that when the conveying member is in the return segment, i.e., at a lower level, it is used to receive waste generated from the work of smoking supplies that has fallen from one or more workstations, such as a filling station, which are typically located at an upper conveying level.

[0007] This technical problem is particularly relevant, for example, when one wants to manufacture smoking products that include leaf materials other than tobacco, and these materials have various unique properties, not only related to their chemical and physical properties.

[0008] When material falls onto a conveyor that is moving from a higher level to a lower level, it can not only contaminate the conveyor but also impair the proper functioning of the device to which the conveyor is attached. For example, if smoking material that falls from a higher level is sticky and viscous, this can hinder the correct movement of the conveyor and potentially lead to the entire device becoming unusable.

[0009] Therefore, with the current level of technology, no automated conveying devices or methods are known for automatically conveying objects within a machine for manufacturing smoking products, with the aim of achieving high productivity, for example, producing 7,000 smoking products per hour.

[0010] In technical fields different from the packaging of smoking products, particularly in the field of pallet transport, there are known transport devices equipped with a forward branch and a return branch with a mechanism for transferring pallets to be transported. An example of such a transport device is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-010956. This device is suitable for transporting bulky and heavy objects, but is not optimized for transporting small and light products such as smoking products. Furthermore, it is clear that this device cannot achieve the high productivity per unit time typical of the movement of products with low unit economic value.

[0011] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems and to provide a simple, reliable conveying device for automatically conveying objects, preferably smoking supplies, that can simultaneously achieve a high level of productivity per unit of time as described above, and to complete a conveying method.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a conveying device for automatically conveying objects, preferably smoking supplies, using two levels of conveying paths, thereby ensuring that scraps, powders, or other work waste do not impair the proper functioning of the device itself.

[0013] The applicant has conceived, tested, and embodied the present invention in order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to obtain these and other objectives and advantages. [Overview of the project]

[0014] The present invention is characterized by the independent claims. Dependent claims describe other features of the present invention or variations of the principal idea of ​​the invention.

[0015] In accordance with the above objective, a conveying device for conveying objects such as smoking supplies or their components comprises: a plurality of conveying members that are independent of each other and configured to convey one or more of the objects along a work line from an initial position to a final position; a first guide means parallel to the work line and configured to sequentially guide the plurality of conveying members from the initial position to the final position; a second guide means parallel to the first guide means and configured to sequentially guide the plurality of conveying members from the final position to the initial position; and a first displacement means and a second displacement means configured to selectively displace the plurality of conveying members from either the first guide means or the second guide means to the other, wherein the first displacement means has a first rotating member provided corresponding to the final position and configured to selectively displace each of the plurality of conveying members one by one from the first guide means to the second guide means; and the second displacement means has a second rotating member provided corresponding to the initial position and configured to selectively displace each of the plurality of conveying members one by one from the second guide means to the first guide means.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, the first rotating member is configured to selectively rotate between a receiving position and a release position by a stepwise rotation means about a rotation axis, passing through an exclusion position and an exclusion position different from the exclusion position.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, the conveying device further comprises a control device configured to detect possible defects in the object being moved along the first guide means; discharge means configured to discharge the object from the conveying member toward an exit conveyor when the conveying member reaches the exclusion position; and disposal means configured to remove the object detected as a defect by the control device from the conveying member when the conveying member reaches the exclusion position.

[0018] The discharge means and the disposal means are configured as driving means that move the object away from the first rotating member at the exclusion position and the removal position, respectively.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, the exclusion position is located upstream of the exclusion position while the transport member is passing from the receiving position to the release position.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, the second rotating member is configured to rotate selectively by stepwise rotation around a corresponding axis of rotation, at least between a receiving position and a release position. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second rotating members rotate around the same axis of rotation.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, the stepwise rotation of the first rotating member and the stepwise rotation of the second rotating member are performed in 90° angular steps, that is, their positions are separated by a 90° angular step.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, the first rotating member rotates 270° when rotating between the receiving position and the release position.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, the first rotating member and the second rotating member rotate about the rotation axis which is arranged parallel to the first guide means and the second guide means, so that the conveying member is maintained by a displacement that does not change the relative orientation of the conveying member with respect to the work line, between the first guide means and the front Note 2 The conveying member is selectively displaced between the guide means. In other words, the conveying member moves both on the forward path on the first guide means and on the return path on the second guide means while maintaining the same orientation, without rotating 180° when displaced from one to the other.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, each of the first rotating member and the second rotating member is parallel to the first guide means and the second guide means, uniformly and angularly spaced from each other, and includes a plurality of rotating guides each having substantially the same cross section as the first guide means and the second guide means, for temporarily accommodating one of the conveying members. Each of the plurality of rotating guides is rotatable about the rotation axis, particularly when the first rotating member and the second rotating member are disposed at the first receiving position and the open position respectively, and is selectively aligned with the first guide means or the second guide means by itself.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, the second guide means is offset both horizontally and vertically relative to the first guide means.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, the conveying member rotates 90° between the receiving position and the ejecting position.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, the first discharge means and the discarding means are pneumatic and are configured as nozzles capable of selectively discharging an air flow at a pressure that enables the object to be discharged from the conveying member.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of conveying members is provided with a longitudinal guide element. The first guide means and the second guide means have corresponding cross-sectional shapes capable of accommodating guide members configured to cooperate with the longitudinal guide element, so that the first guide means and the second guide means slide only in the longitudinal direction.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises moving means configured to selectively and alternately move the first plurality of conveying members along the first guide means from the initial position to the final position, and move the second plurality of conveying members along the second guide means from the final position to the initial position, and the moving means performs an alternating periodic motion.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present invention, the moving means comprises a first thrust means positioned corresponding to the final position and a second thrust means positioned corresponding to the initial position, the first thrust means and the second thrust means are arranged at a fixed reciprocation distance apart from each other, and are configured to move in coordination such that the reciprocation distance between the first thrust means and the second thrust means remains constant.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, the discharge means and the discarding means are fixed and arranged in proximity to the first rotating member.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for conveying an object, preferably a smoking article, includes a conveying step in which one or more of the objects disposed on a plurality of conveying members are sequentially conveyed from an initial position to a final position along a work line while being guided by first guide means parallel to the work line, a return step in which second guide means parallel to the first guide means sequentially guides the plurality of conveying members from the final position to the initial position, and a displacement step inserted between the conveying step and the return step, wherein a displacement means configured as a rotating member selectively displaces the plurality of conveying members one by one from one of the first guide means and the second guide means toward the other.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the displacement step, the conveying member is selectively moved from the first guide means to the second guide means, or vice versa, by rotating the rotating member about a rotation axis arranged parallel to the first guide means and the second guide means, thereby maintaining the orientation of the conveying member relative to the work line.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present invention, the rotating member comprises a first rotating member configured to pass through an exclusion position and an exclusion position different from the exclusion position, and to rotate selectively between an acceptance position and a release position.

[0035] According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: a detection step of detecting possible defects in the object being moved along the first guide means upstream of the first rotating member; a discharge step of discharging the object from the transport member that has reached the exclusion position toward an exit conveyor; and a disposal step of removing the object detected as a defect by the control device from the transport member when the transport member has reached the exclusion position.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the displacement step, the first rotating member rotates 270° as it passes from the receiving position to the release position.

[0037] According to another aspect of the present invention, a machine for automatically manufacturing smoking products, each having at least one casing, comprises: at least one feed station configured to feed the casing; at least one filling station configured to fill the casing with smokeable material; at least one packaging station configured to package the smoking product by closing one end of the casing; and at least one conveying device configured to transport the casing from the feed station to at least one of the filling station or the packaging station.

[0038] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention are given as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings and will become apparent from the following description of some of its embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the conveying device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the equipment including or associated with the device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a three-dimensional view showing the first detail of the device shown in Figure 1, at an enlarged scale and in partial cross-section. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the second detail of the device shown in Figure 1, at an enlarged scale. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a front view of the device shown. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view along line VI-VI in Figure 5, shown at an enlarged scale. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view along line VII-VII in Figure 5, shown at an enlarged scale. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a rear view of the device shown. [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the control circuit of the device shown. [Figure 10] This is a front view showing a partial cross-section of the third detail of the device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 11] Figure 1 is a front view showing, on a magnified scale, the smoking products that can be processed by the apparatus shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] In this specification and in the claims, terms such as horizontal, vertical, front, back, height, low, internal, and external, along with the tendency of their expression, are intended to better illustrate the invention with reference to the drawings and should never be used to limit the scope of the invention itself or the field of protection defined by the appended claims. For example, the term “vertical” refers to a plane that is perpendicular to the horizon or inclined to it by a few degrees, for example, up to 20°.

[0041] Furthermore, those skilled in the art should be aware that, in order to provide a more easily understandable version of the present invention, certain sizes or features in the drawings may be enlarged, distorted, or shown in an unconventional or disproportionate manner.

[0042] Whereever a size and / or value is specified in the following description, unless that size and / or value is described in the appended claims, it is provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings whenever possible to identify identical common elements. It is understood that elements and features according to the same embodiment can be combined with or incorporated into other embodiments as appropriate, without further explanation.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1, the conveying device 10 according to the present invention is configured to selectively and continuously convey a general object, such as smoking supplies 100, from an initial position PI (see Figures 2, 5, and 8) to a final position PF, or vice versa, on a work line LL (see Figure 2), which in the example provided is horizontal and linear, but may be inclined and not linear.

[0045] For example, the conveying device 10 may be associated with, or part of, a machine 200 for manufacturing smoking products such as cigarettes, which is schematically shown in the block diagram of Figure 2.

[0046] The machine 200 includes, for example, a feed station 201 configured to selectively feed casings 101 for the smoking products 100 to be manufactured; a filling station 202 configured to fill the casings 101 with disparate materials such as smoking products, e.g., tobacco, other smoky substances, or combinations thereof; a packaging station 203 configured to package the already filled smoking products 100 by, for example, properly closing the open end (see Figure 5) of each casing 101; and a delivery station (see Figure 2) 204, for example, corresponding to the final position PF, which transfers the smoking products 100 to a packing station 205, which may be located outside the machine 200, but is not limited thereto.

[0047] The feed station 201, filling station 202, packaging station 203, distribution station 204, and packing station 205 may be of any known type or of a type to be developed in the future. Alternatively, the feed station 202 may be configured in a type described, for example, in a related patent application for an industrial invention filed by the same applicant as this patent application.

[0048] Before describing the device 10 in detail, an example of smoking supplies 100 is described as a non-limiting representation (see Figure 11).

[0049] Each smoking device 100 comprises or consists of a casing 101 made of a sheet material, such as very thin paper, cellulose, rubber, or other material suitable for manufacturing cigarettes, and is usually provided with a filter 102 of a known type.

[0050] For example, each casing 101 may have a frustoconical shape and may include a first end 103 corresponding to the filter 102 and an open end 104 opposite the first end 103 into which a smoking material can be inserted for filling. Thus, the first end 103 has a smaller diameter than the open end 104. The length LI of each casing 101 can vary depending on the smoking product 100 to be obtained, for example, between about 60 mm and about 150 mm, preferably between about 60 mm and about 120 mm.

[0051] Referring to Figures 1, 5, and 8, the conveying device 10 comprises a plurality of conveying members 12, each having the shape and function of a shuttle and configured to convey one or more smoking supplies 100 (see Figures 4 and 11), and each having its own longitudinal axis X1 (see Figure 3). Each conveying member 12 has a proximal end 14 and an opposite distal end 15 (see Figures 5 and 8). During use, the proximal end 14 always faces the initial position PI, and the distal end 15 always faces the final position PF.

[0052] In the example given herein, each conveying member 12 comprises four through-bases 13, each through-base 13 having a frustoconical shape coaxial with axis Y perpendicular to the longitudinal axis XI and having a size that matches the size of the casing 101 / smoking product 100, at least their lower parts, so that the latter can be inserted from top to bottom and protrude downward by a few millimeters.

[0053] The distance between two adjacent bases 13 and the length L2 of each conveying member 12 are determined during the design phase of the device 10 and / or machine 200 to be suitable for managing multiple smoking supplies 100 to be conveyed and processed.

[0054] As will become clearer from the following parts of this specification, the number of bases 13 may be other than 4, even if the number of bases 13 affects the hourly productivity of the apparatus 10.

[0055] Each transport member 12 (see Figure 3) is provided with two longitudinal guide grooves 16, which are formed on two sides that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis Y of the base 13.

[0056] The conveying device 10 further includes a fixed support structure 17 (see Figures 1 and 5), the fixed support structure 17 comprising, for example, a first guide means 24 having a first fixed guide 22, and a second guide means 27 having, for example, a second fixed guide 23. In the embodiment described herein, the two fixed guides 22 and 23 are identical to each other.

[0057] In particular, the first fixed guide 22 is located on a substantially horizontal first moving surface PM1 (see Figure 5) and is configured to allow the transport member 12 containing the smoking supplies 100 to slide between an initial position PI and a final position PF, and thus to allow the transport member 12 to move forward.

[0058] On the other hand, the second fixed guide 23 is located on the second moving surface PM2 which is parallel to the first moving surface PM1, and is lower than the first moving surface PM1, so that the two fixed guides 22 and 23 are horizontally offset. The second fixed guide 23 is configured to allow the transport member 12 containing the smoking supplies 100 to slide between the final position PF and the initial position PI, and thus to advance the transport member 12, as will be described in detail below.

[0059] Furthermore, the second fixed guide 23 is also positioned on a vertical plane different from the vertical plane on which the first fixed guide 22 is located, and is therefore offset vertically, and in this case is displaced toward the rear of the device 10 (right side in Figure 6; left side in Figure 7).

[0060] Each of the two fixed guides 22 and 23 has a length L3 that is an integer multiple of the length L2 of the conveying member 12.

[0061] Each of the two fixed guides 22 and 23 (see Figure 4) is shaped to have a longitudinal groove 25 extending from one side to the other along its entire length L3, defining two rails 26 that face each other and run parallel to the work line LL. The longitudinal guide groove 16 of each conveying member 12 cooperates with the two rails 26. In this way, each conveying member 12 can move only parallel to the work line LL in the manner described in detail below.

[0062] Furthermore, the first fixed guide 22 and the second fixed guide 23 each have a first end 28, 29 closer to the initial position PI (see left side of Figure 5) and a second end 30, 31 closer to the final position PF (see right side of Figure 5).

[0063] According to one aspect of the present invention, the first fixed guide 22 has the outer surfaces of its two rails 26 facing upward, and the second fixed guide 23 has the outer surfaces of its two rails 26 facing the rear of the device 10 (see Figures 6 and 7). Therefore, the outer surfaces of the two rails 26 of the second fixed guide 23 are positioned on a plane perpendicular to the second moving plane PM2. Thus, the two fixed guides 22 and 23 are offset from each other by 90°. The reason for designing the arrangement of the second fixed guide 23 relative to the first fixed guide 22 in this way is explained below.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower wall 33 (see Figure 4) of the first fixed guide 22 has one or more through holes 32 whose axes are equidistant from the two rails 26. In particular, to realize a function that is outside the scope of protection of the present invention, the through holes 32 are formed in correspondence with a filling station 202 and / or a packaging station 203, allowing common service members, such as load cells or actuators, to access the first end 103 of the casing 101 from below.

[0065] A known type of control device 35 is attached to the second end 30 of the first fixed guide 22 and connected to, for example, a programmable type of electronic control unit 36 ​​(Figure 11). The control device 35 may be an optical configuration such as a video camera and is configured to detect any defects in the smoking product 100 as it moves along the first fixed guide 22 and to transmit a corresponding signal to the electronic control unit 36 ​​(see Figure 9), so that the defective smoking product 100 can be disposed of by the disposal means 57 which will be described in detail below.

[0066] The device 10 further comprises two rotating members 38 and 39, referred to as the first and second (see Figures 1, 5, and 8), which are coaxial with each other and positioned on opposite sides of the two fixed guides 22 and 23. Specifically, as will be described in detail below, the first rotating member 38 is positioned at the final position PF and the second rotating member 39 is positioned at the initial position PI, and the device has the function of selectively displacing the transport member 12 from one of the two fixed guides 22 and 23 to the other.

[0067] Each of the two rotating members 38, 39 (see Figures 6 and 7) is equipped with a central hub 40, 41, respectively, which is rotatably mounted on vertical plates 42, 43 of the support structure 17 and is attached to the shafts 44, 45 of electric motors 46, 47, respectively, which are controlled by an electronic control unit 36 ​​(see Figure 11). The rotation axes X2 of the two rotating members 38, 39 (see Figures 6, 7 and 8) are substantially coaxial and parallel to the two fixed guides 22, 23.

[0068] In particular, the rotation axis X2 is substantially located at the intersection of the vertical plane PV (see Figures 6 and 7) substantially passing through the centerline of the first fixed guide 22 and the horizontal plane PO substantially passing through the centerline of the second fixed guide 23, i.e., at the location where the axis Y of the base 13 (see Figure 3) is located.

[0069] Each of the two central hubs 40 and 41 (see Figures 6 and 7) has a disk 48 and 49 mounted on it, and four identical rotating guides 50 and 51 are cantilevered above them. Each of the four rotating guides 50 and 51 has the same cross-section as the fixed guides 22 and 23 and is spaced 90° apart from adjacent rotating guides. The two disks 48 and 49 are parallel to the vertical plates 42 and 43, and the rotating guides 50 and 51 are parallel to the fixed guides 22 and 23.

[0070] The length of each of the four rotating guides 50 and 51 is equal to the length L2 of the conveying member 12.

[0071] The two rotating members 38 and 39 are sized such that when they are stationary, one of the four rotating guides 50 and 51 is always aligned with the first fixed guide 22, and another of the four rotating guides 50 and 51 is always aligned with the first fixed guide 23.

[0072] The two vertical plates 52 and 53 of the support structure 17 (see Figures 5 and 8) are positioned parallel to the vertical walls 42 and 43, respectively, to prevent the transport members 12, which are located within the rotating guides 50 and 51, from coming off the rotating guides 50 and 51 in an undesirable manner.

[0073] Furthermore, the two electric motors 46 and 47, instructed by the electronic control unit 36, can rotate the two rotating members 38 and 39 in opposite directions in 90° increments.

[0074] For the sake of explanation, referring to Figure 6, in which the first rotating member 38 is schematically shown, the following stationary positions corresponding to the possibility of each conveying member 12 stopping are referred to as follows: the receiving position A, which is the top position, where the first fixed guide 22 is located; the discharge position B, which is the front position, i.e., 90° counterclockwise with respect to the receiving position A, and where, for example, the delivery station 204 is located; the exclusion position C, which is the downward position, i.e., 90° counterclockwise with respect to the discharge position B; and the release position D, which is the rear position, where the second fixed guide 23 is located.

[0075] In Figure 7, which schematically shows the second rotating member 39, the release position D is reversed compared to the position in Figure 6. As will be clear from the following detailed description, the transport member 12 moving on the second rotating member 39 does not have smoking supplies 100, and therefore there is no need to provide discharge and removal positions for these smoking supplies; therefore, the second rotating member 39 does not have a discharge position B and a disposal position C.

[0076] Inside the first rotating member 38 is a discharge means 56 configured to displace the smoking supplies 100 present on the conveying member 12 toward the distribution station 204, which is schematically shown in Figure 1 as an outlet conveyor belt 55.

[0077] In particular, both the discharge and waste means are configured as actuation members, fixed to the vertical plate 52, and positioned between the four rotation guides 50 so as not to interfere with each other during rotation. In the example provided herein, the discharge means may comprise a first set of nozzles 56 positioned corresponding to the discharge position B, and the waste means may comprise a second set of nozzles 57 positioned corresponding to the exclusion position C. Each of the nozzles 56, 57 is aligned with the base 13 of the transport member 12, even when the transport member 12 is in the discharge position B and the exclusion position C.

[0078] Each of the nozzles 56 and 57 can be directed, for example, by an electronic control unit 36 ​​to selectively release a flow of pressurized air coming from any known type of compression means (not shown).

[0079] In particular, the flow of pressurized air released by each nozzle 56 allows the corresponding smoking items 100, which may be present on the base 13 of the conveying member 12 located within the rotating guide 50, to be discharged to the outside of the latter, and thus toward the conveyor belt 55.

[0080] Conversely, if each nozzle 57 is previously found to be defective by the control device 35, for example, the corresponding smoking product 100 can be discharged downward into a suitable container (not shown).

[0081] The device 10 includes a moving unit 60 (see Figures 1, 5, and 8) mounted on a support structure 17 and configured to selectively and alternately move the transport member 12 on two fixed guides 22 and 23.

[0082] The mobile unit 60 includes an actuator 61, for example, an electrically operated or hydrodynamic actuator, which is controlled by an electronically controlled unit 36.

[0083] The slider 62 is connected, for example, to an actuator 61 (see Figure 1) having a central portion 63, is substantially horizontal, and slides relative to the support structure 17.

[0084] Two pairs of lateral arms 65, 66 (see Figure 6) and 67, 68 (see Figure 7) are attached to the lateral ends of the central portion 63 of the slider 62.

[0085] In particular, the lateral arm 67 is positioned such that one end of it corresponds to the first end 28 of the fixed guide 22, the lateral arm 68 is positioned such that one end of it corresponds to the first end 29 of the fixed guide 23, the lateral arm 65 is positioned such that one end of it corresponds to the second end 30 of the fixed guide 22, and the lateral arm 66 is positioned such that one end of it corresponds to the second end 31 of the fixed guide 23. Thus, as will be described in detail below, the two lateral arms 65 and 67 are located at a higher level than the two lateral arms 66 and 68, so that the first two can cooperate with the conveying member 12 inserted into the first fixed guide 22 located on the first moving plane PM1, while the second two can cooperate with the conveying member 12 inserted into the second fixed guide 23 located on the second moving plane PM2.

[0086] Furthermore, each end of the four lateral arms 65, 66, 67, and 68 has a thrust head 70 facing two fixed guides 22 and 23.

[0087] The internal distance L4 between the thrust surfaces of the thrust heads 70 of the two pairs of lateral arms 65 and 66 is equal to the sum of the length L2 of the conveying member 12 and the lengths L3 of the fixed guides 22 and 23.

[0088] The slider 62 can move linearly in both directions and parallel to the work line LL between a first operating position in which the slider 62 is completely displaced to the left in Figure 5, with the lateral arms 67 and 68 outside the second rotating member 39 and the lateral arms 65 and 66 interfering with the first rotating member 38, and a second operating position in which the slider 62 is completely displaced to the right in Figure 5, with the lateral arms 67 and 68 interfering with the second rotating member and the lateral arms 65 and 66 located outside the first rotating member 38. The amount of movement S of the slider 62 between the two operating positions is equal to the length L2 of the conveying member 12.

[0089] Each of the functions of the apparatus 10 described so far also corresponds to the method according to the present invention, and is as follows.

[0090] To explain the overall function of the device 10, for the sake of clarity, we will describe the feed cycle of a single conveying member 12. This is because all other conveying members 12 within the device 10 operate in the same manner.

[0091] Assume that in order to manufacture a similar number of smoking supplies 100, the transport member 12 must transport multiple casings 101 along the work line LL of the machine 200 (see Figure 2) from the feed station 201 to the subsequent filling station 202, packaging station 203, and distribution station 204. Various operations are performed here, but these are outside the scope of the present invention and will not be described in detail here.

[0092] Before commencing any work process, multiple transport members 12 are inserted so as to completely occupy both the first fixed guide 22 and the second fixed guide 23.

[0093] Furthermore, one empty transport member 12, i.e., a transport member 12 without any casing 101 attached, is also inserted into the respective rotation guides 50 of the first rotating member 38 at discharge position B and exclusion position C, and into the rotation guides 51 of the second rotating member 39 at positions corresponding to positions A, B, and C defined in advance with reference to the first rotating member 38. With reference to these positions of the second rotating member 39, it is understood that positions A and C correspond to the receiving position and discharge position of the first rotating member 38, respectively, located at the top and bottom, while position B is the front position of the device 10, inverted with respect to the discharge position in Figure 6.

[0094] In the initial state, the slider 62 is in the first operating position, that is, completely displaced to the left in Figure 5, and the lateral arms 67 and 68 are outside the second rotating member 39, while the lateral arms 65 and 66 interfere with the first rotating member 38. In this initial state, the two rotating members 38 and 39 are stationary.

[0095] Next, the movement step is initiated, and all transport members 12 are simultaneously displaced by a constant pitch P equal to the length L2 of each transport member 12, either along the first fixed guide 22 from the initial position PI to the final position PF, or along the second fixed guide 23 from the final position PF to the initial position PI.

[0096] To do this, the electronic control unit 36 ​​keeps the electric motors 46, 47 stationary and instructs the actuator 61 to displace the slider 62 by a pitch P toward its second operating position, so that the slider 62 is fully displaced to the right in Figure 5, and the lateral arms 67, 68 interfere with the second rotating member 39, and the lateral arms 65, 66 are positioned outside the first rotating member 38.

[0097] By pushing the first conveying member 12, that is, the conveying member 12 located on the rotation guide 51 of the second rotating member 39, all other conveying members 12 located on the first fixed guide 22 are simultaneously displaced toward the first rotating member 38.

[0098] Due to this displacement at pitch P, the transport member 12, which was initially positioned corresponding to the second end 30 of the first fixed guide 22 (see Figure 5), enters the corresponding rotating guide 50 located at the upper receiving position A (see Figure 6).

[0099] Next, the electronic control unit 36 ​​operates the electric motor 46 to rotate the first rotating member 38 90° counterclockwise (see Figure 6).

[0100] This 90° rotation causes the conveying member 12 within the rotating guide 50, which was located at receiving position A, to move to the discharge position B located further forward. At the same time, the two conveying members 12 that were at positions B and C (discharge position and exclusion position, respectively) move to positions C and D, i.e., the disposal position and the release position, respectively.

[0101] At this point, the electronic control unit 36 ​​maintains the electric motors 46 and 47 in a stationary state and instructs the actuator 61 to reverse the displacement of the slider 62 by a pitch P toward its first operating position, thereby displacing the slider 62 completely to the left side of Figure 5.

[0102] This reverse displacement causes the lateral arm 66 to push the transport member 12, which was in the release position D of the first rotating member 38, to the left, causing it to enter the second fixed guide 23.

[0103] As a result, all transport members 12 located in the latter position are displaced toward the initial position PI, and in particular, the transport members 12 located near the first end 29 of the second fixed guide 23 enter the corresponding rotating guide 51 of the second rotating member 39 at position D.

[0104] Next, the electronic control unit 36 ​​activates the electric motor 47 to rotate the second rotating member 39 90° counterclockwise (see Figure 2).

[0105] This 90° rotation causes the conveying member 12 within the rotating guide 51, which was located at position B, to move to the upper position A, and simultaneously, the two conveying members 12 that were at positions C and D move to positions B and C, respectively.

[0106] In this way, the forward cycle of the first transport member 12 under consideration is completed, and the first transport member 12 is positioned corresponding to the feed station 201 (see Figure 2) at the front of the first fixed guide 22.

[0107] Tests conducted by the applicant revealed that each forward cycle could be carried out in a very short time of approximately 2 seconds. Therefore, since four casings 101 were processed at once and attached to each transport member 12, a very high productivity per hour was achieved, on the order of approximately 7,000 smoking supplies 100.

[0108] At this position, the empty casing 101 is loaded onto each of the four bases 13 of the transport member 12 in any known way.

[0109] At this point, there is another transport member 12 on the rotating guide 51 at position A of the second rotating member 39 (see Figure 7). The forward cycle is repeated for the latter, and the same process is continuously carried out for all other transport members 12.

[0110] In this manner, each transport member 12 equipped with the casing 101 is advanced step by step along the first fixed guide 22 to the final position PF, while the empty transport member 12 is returned step by step from the final position PF to the initial position PI along the second fixed guide 23. During the forward journey, the smoking supplies 100 are assembled by workstations 202 and 203 of the machine 200.

[0111] At the end of these operations, the electronic control unit 36 ​​adjusts the discharge of the smoking product 100 mounted on the transport member 12, which has reached the first rotating member 38 at the final position PF, based on signals provided by the control device 35.

[0112] In particular, smoking products 100 deemed non-defective by the control device 35 are discharged onto the conveyor belt 55 of the distribution station 204 (see Figures 1 and 5) by means of a first set of nozzles 56 (see Figure 6) positioned corresponding to the discharge position B of the first rotating member 38. At the same time, smoking products 100 deemed defective by the same control device 35 are discharged downward by a second set of nozzles 57 positioned corresponding to the exclusion position C of the first rotating member 38.

[0113] In the embodiments described herein, it should be noted that when each transport member 12 arrives at the final position PF, it rotates 270° relative to the receiving position A where the first fixing guide 22 is located, before reaching the release position D where it is inserted into the second fixing guide 23.

[0114] The positioning of the second fixing guide 23 at substantially 90° to the first fixing guide 22 toward the rear of the device 10 is advantageous in that the overall size of the device 10 can be significantly reduced, and in some cases the overall size of the machine 200 to which it is associated or into which it is inserted can also be reduced.

[0115] Furthermore, the transport member 12, which moves along the second fixed guide 23, is protected from dust and debris flying in from workstations 201, 202, and 203 located on the first fixed guide 22.

[0116] Another advantage derived from the specific arrangement of the second fixed guide 23 relative to the first fixed guide 22 is that, by passing the first rotating member 39 from position C before all the transport members 12 are inserted into the second fixed guide 23, their bases 13 are positioned downwards, and any possible work residue is discharged from the latter in a natural manner by the effect of gravity.

[0117] It is clear that modifications and / or additions to the apparatus 10 described herein can be made to parts without departing from the field and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0118] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described with reference to several specific examples, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that many other equivalent forms of devices and / or methods for transporting smoking supplies can certainly be realized, and all of these are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0119] In the following claims, the sole purpose of the symbols in parentheses is for readability, and they should not be considered as limiting elements relating to the field of protection claimed in the claims themselves.

Claims

1. A conveying device (10) for transporting an object (100), The aforementioned transport device (10) A plurality of transport members (12) that are independent of each other and each configured to transport one or more of the aforementioned objects (100) along a work line (LL) from an initial position (PI) to a final position (PF), A first guide means (24) is configured to run parallel to the work line (LL) and sequentially guide the plurality of transport members (12) from the initial position (PI) to the final position (PF), A second guide means (27) is configured to be parallel to the first guide means (24) and to sequentially guide the plurality of transport members (12) from the final position (PF) toward the initial position (PI), The plurality of transport members (12) are configured to be selectively displaced from one of the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27) toward the other, and the first displacement means (38) and second displacement means (39) are configured to do so. Equipped with, The first displacement means (38) is provided in correspondence with the final position (PF) and has a first rotating member (38) configured to selectively displace each of the plurality of transport members (12) one by one from the first guide means (24) toward the second guide means (27), The second displacement means (39) is provided in accordance with the initial position (PI) and includes a second rotating member (39) configured to selectively displace each of the plurality of transport members (12) one by one from the second guide means (27) toward the first guide means (24). The first rotating member (38) is configured to rotate selectively between a receiving position (A) and a release position (D) by a stepwise rotation mechanism centered on a rotation axis (X2), passing through an exclusion position (B) and an exclusion position (C) different from the exclusion position (B). The aforementioned transport device (10) further, A control device (35) configured to detect defects in the object (100) as it moves along the first guide means (24), When the transport member (12) reaches the discharge position (B), a discharge means (56) is configured to discharge the object from the transport member (12) toward the exit conveyor (55), When the transport member (12) reaches the exclusion position (C), the waste disposal means (57) is configured to remove the object (100) detected as a defect by the control device (35) from the transport member (12), A conveying device (10) characterized by comprising:

2. The transport device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the exclusion position (B) is located upstream of the exclusion position (C) while the transport member (12) is passing from the receiving position (A) to the release position (D).

3. The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first rotating member (38) rotates by 270° when rotating between the receiving position (A) and the release position (D).

4. The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first rotating member (38) and the second rotating member (39) rotate about the rotation axis (X2) which is arranged parallel to the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27), so that the conveying member (12) is selectively displaced between the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27), and during this displacement, the conveying member (12) maintains its orientation relative to the work line (LL) without changing.

5. Each of the first rotating member (38) and the second rotating member (39) is provided with a plurality of rotating guides (50, 51) parallel to the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27), spaced uniformly and angularly apart from each other, and each having substantially the same cross-section as the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27), for the purpose of temporarily accommodating one of the transport members (12). The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the plurality of rotating guides (50, 51) is rotatable about the rotation axis (X2) and selectively aligns itself with the first guide means (24) or the second guide means (27).

6. The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the second guide means (27) is offset in both the horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the first guide means (24).

7. The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveying member (12) rotates 90° between the receiving position (A) and the rejection position (B).

8. The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge means (56) and the waste disposal means (57) are pneumatic and are configured as nozzles capable of selectively releasing a pressured airflow that enables the discharge of the object from the conveying member (12).

9. Each of the plurality of transport members (12) is equipped with a longitudinal guide element (16), The conveying device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27) have corresponding cross-sectional shapes capable of accommodating a guide member (26) configured to cooperate with the longitudinal guide element (16) so that the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27) slide only in the longitudinal direction.

10. The system further comprises a moving means (60) configured to selectively and alternately move the first plurality of transport members (12) along the first guide means (24) from the initial position (PI) to the final position (PF), and the second plurality of transport members (12) along the second guide means (27) from the final position (PF) to the initial position (PI), The transport device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the moving means (60) performs alternating periodic motion.

11. The moving means (60) comprises a first thrusting means (65, 66) positioned corresponding to the final position (PF) and a second thrusting means (67, 68) positioned corresponding to the initial position (PI), The conveying device (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the first thrusting means (65, 66) and the second thrusting means (67, 68) are arranged at a certain reciprocating distance from each other and are configured to move in coordination such that the reciprocating distance between the first thrusting means (65, 66) and the second thrusting means (67, 68) remains constant.

12. The transport device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge means (56) and the waste disposal means (57) are fixed and arranged in close proximity to the first rotating member (38).

13. A method for transporting an object (100), preferably smoking supplies, The aforementioned method, A transport step in which one or more objects placed on a plurality of transport members (12) are sequentially transported along a work line (LL) by a first guide means (24) parallel to the work line (LL) from an initial position (PI) to a final position (PF), A return step in which a second guide means (27) parallel to the first guide means (24) sequentially guides the plurality of transport members (12) from the final position (PF) to the initial position (PI), A displacement step is provided, which is inserted between the transport step and the return step and is configured as a rotating member (38, 39) and is used to selectively displace the plurality of transport members (12) one by one from either the first guide means (24) or the second guide means (27) to the other. In the displacement step, the rotating members (38, 39) are rotated around a rotation axis (X2) arranged parallel to the first guide means (24) and the second guide means (27), thereby selectively moving the conveying member (12) from the first guide means (24) to the second guide means (27) or vice versa, and during this movement, the conveying member (12) maintains its orientation relative to the work line (LL) without changing it. The rotating members (38, 39) include a first rotating member (38) configured to pass through an exclusion position (B) and an exclusion position (C) different from the exclusion position (B), and to rotate selectively between an acceptance position (A) and a release position (D). The above method further, A detection step is to detect a defect in the object (100) that is moved along the first guide means (24) on the upstream side of the first rotating member (38), Discharge step of discharging the object from the transport member (12) that has reached the removal position (B) toward the exit conveyor (55), A method characterized by comprising: a disposal step in which, when the transport member (12) reaches the exclusion position (C), the object (100) detected as a defect by the control device (35) is removed from the transport member (12).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, in the displacement step, when rotating from the receiving position (A) to the release position (D), a rotation of 270° is performed.

15. A machine (200) for automatically manufacturing smoking products, each having at least one casing (101), The aforementioned machine (200) At least one feed station (201) configured to feed the casing (101), A filling station (202) configured to fill the casing (101) with a smokeable material, A packaging station (203) configured to package the smoking product by closing one end of the casing (101), The system comprises at least one conveying device (10) configured to convey the casing (101) from the feed station (201) to at least one of the filling station (202) or the packaging station (203), The conveying device (10) is a machine (200) characterized by being as described in claim 1.

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