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US 6,799,577 B2Granted
Automatic cigarette processing machine
AssigneeG. D. Societa per Azioni
InventorsDaniele Bergo, Roberto Campanini, Mario Spatafora
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic cigarette processing machine having a control unit and a number of successive work stations, each having a respective number of operating devices; for each work station, the control unit has at least one respective controller directly connected to the work station and for controlling all the operating devices at the work station substantially independently of the other controllers.
Claims13
An automatic machine (1) for processing cigarettes (4) and comprising:
- a frame (8);
- a plurality of work stations (9) supported by the frame (8) and arranged in succession for defining a working path of the automatic machine (1) along the frame (8), the working path being bounded by an input conveyor (11) and an output conveyor (28);
- each work station (9) including a number of operating devices (10) for processing the cigarettes (4) and at least one operating device (10) in each work station (9) being a conveyor device (12, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) for feeding along said working path the cigarettes (4) or material (5, 6, 7) used for processing the cigarettes (4);
- a main electric motor (30) for powering some of the conveyor devices (16, 21, 17, 23, 15, 26);
- a number of secondary electric motors (31) for powering the other conveyor devices (12, 20, 25, 27, 28);
- a control unit (32) comprising a plurality of first controllers (34a-33f) and at least one second controller (33g);
- wherein each first controller (33a-33f) is directly connected to a respective work station (9) and controls all and only the operating devices (10) at the respective work station (9) with the exception of the conveyor devices (16, 21, 17, 23, 15, 26) powered by the main electric motor (30);
- wherein the second controller (33g) controls the main electric motor (30) and coordinates starting and stopping of the machine (1);
- wherein the main electric motor (30) supplies secondary electric motors (31) with a sync signal so that the main electric motor (30) therefore acts as a master, while secondary electric motors (31) are controlled by main electric motor (30) as slaves;
- and
- wherein the control unit (32) comprising a BUS connection (34) for connecting said controllers (33) to one another so as each controller (33) is in communication with at least one other controller (33).
8 more elements
An automatic machine (1) for packing cigarettes (4) and comprising:
- a frame (8);
- a plurality of work stations (9) supported by the frame (8) and arranged in succession for defining a working path of the automatic machine (1) along the frame (8), the working path being bounded by an input conveyor (11) and an output conveyor (28);
- each work station (9) including a number of operating devices (10) for processing the cigarettes (4) and at least one operating device (10) in each work station (9) being a conveyor device (12, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) for feeding along said working path the cigarettes (4) or material (5, 6, 7) used for processing the cigarettes (4);
- a first work station (9a) comprising forming means (11) for forming groups (3) of cigarettes (4);
- a second work station (9c) comprising first folding means (17) for folding sheets (5) of wrapping material and collars (6) about respective groups (3) of cigarettes (4);
- a third work station (9c) comprising second folding means (23) for folding blanks (7) about respective groups (3) and over sheets (5) of wrapping material and collars (6);
- a main electric motor (30) for powering some of the conveyor devices (16, 21, 17, 23, 15, 26);
- a number of secondary electric motors (31) for powering the other conveyor devices (12, 20, 25, 27, 28);
- a control unit (32) comprising a plurality of first controllers (33a-33f) and at least one second controller (33g);
- wherein each first controller (33a-33f) is directly connected to a respective work station (9) and controls all and only the operating devices (10) at the respective work station (9) with the exception of the conveyor devices (16, 21, 17, 23, 15, 26) powered by the main electric motor (30);
- wherein the second controller (33g) controls the main electric motor (30) and coordinates starting and stopping of the machine (1);
- wherein the main electric motor (30) supplies secondary electric motors (31) with a sync signal so that the main electric motor (30) therefore acts as a master, while secondary electric motors (31) are controlled by main electric motor (30) as slaves;
- and
- wherein the control unit (32) comprising a BUS connection (34) for connecting said controllers (33) to one another so as each controller (33) is in communication with at least one other controller (33).
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.