Abstract: A device (2) for feeding reels (3) has a manipulator (14) having a gripping member (19) for picking up one reel (3) at a time off a pallet (16) and transferring the reel (3) to an unwinding pin (4a; 4b) on a machine (1); the gripping member (19) is enabled to pick up a reel (3) off the pallet (16) when at least one reference point (k1) of the gripping member (19) lies inside a central hole (7) of the reel (3).

Abstract: Single lengths of wrapping material are cut from a continuous strip by a feed unit equipped with a drum on which the strip is taken up and advanced, also with a first cutter assembly by which the strip is divided into leaves, a second cutter assembly positioned to score a transverse tear-off line on each leaf, and a third cutter assembly positioned to score a longitudinal tear-off line that combines with the transverse tear-off line to mark out a removable portion of the leaf; the first and second and third cutter assemblies all operate in conjunction with the drum, the second and third assemblies being also rigidly associated one with another, incorporated into a single rotary device in such a way as to present a cutting edge of “L” shape designed to interact at one and the same station with a striking surface offered by the drum.

Abstract: A machine for packing products having a first packing unit for producing a succession of first packed groups of products and a second packing unit for grouping the first packed groups into second packed groups, each presenting a number of the first packed groups. A flat support serves for supporting the first packed groups and is interposed between the two packing units. A step-conveying device extends over the flat support and has a succession of pockets for receiving respective first packed groups, and provides an output portion whose pockets are detachable from the first packed groups to release the first packed groups on the flat support.

Abstract: A method and unit for transferring blanks on a packing machine, whereby stacks of blanks are transferred from a platform, on which the blanks are arranged in stacks, to a store wherein the blanks are packed successively and seamlessly along a path for supply to a pickup station of the packing machine; transfer of the stacks from the platform to the store including forming, at a loading station and by means of two gripping devices for gripping the stacks, a group of blanks defined by stacks superimposed and aligned in a container, feeding the container and the group along a path to an unloading station at the store, and transferring the group of blanks from the container to the store.

Abstract: A method of feeding cigars to a hopper of a wrapping machine, wherein the cigars are housed in bulk and in orderly manner inside containers; each container has a top opening by which to receive and unload the cigars in the aforementioned orderly manner; a full container of cigars is picked up and inverted at the hopper by means of a manipulating device so that the opening faces downwards; and the full container is rested on a supporting surface having a passage smaller than the opening, so as to partly close the opening and provide for controlled unloading of the cigars.

Abstract: An automatic machine for processing articles, and having a conveyor which feeds the articles along a path in a given feed direction and has a movable member; and a reading device for determining the position of the movable member; the reading device cooperates with a permanent magnet housed inside the movable member and positioned with its polar axis perpendicular to the feed direction, and has two linear Hall-effect sensors arranged side by side parallel to the feed direction so as to have zero sensitivity in a direction parallel to the feed direction; and the instant in which the movable member is in a definite detection position with respect to the reading device is detected by determining the instant in which the output signal of the Hall-effect sensor downstream with respect to the travelling direction of the movable member inverts.

Abstract: A folding method and device, whereby a tubular wrapping is formed about a product by inserting the product inside a U-shaped pocket together with a sheet of wrapping material, a first lateral portion of which is interposed between the product and a first lateral wall of the pocket, and a second lateral portion of which, opposite the first, is folded outside and beyond the pocket and crosswise to the first lateral portion; the tubular wrapping being closed by moving the first lateral wall of the pocket outwards, simultaneously moving a contrast member onto the first lateral portion, and then folding the second lateral portion, by means of an external folding member, onto the product and so as to overlap the first lateral portion; and the tubular wrapping being fixed inside the pocket by withdrawing the external folding member, simultaneously closing the first lateral wall onto the product, and withdrawing the contrast member (34) from the pocket.

Abstract: A cigarette packing method and machine, whereby an output wheel feeds along a folding path a number of gripping heads, each of which receives and retains, by the ends, a relative packet having minor lateral walls, each defined by an inner longitudinal tab and an outer longitudinal tab superimposed one on top of the other; each packet is fed onto the folding path with its outer longitudinal tabs open, detached from the respective inner longitudinal tabs, and supported by respective folding wings carried by the gripping head; and the folding path extends through a folding station where the folding wings of each gripping head are moved to fold the respective outer longitudinal tabs into a closed position contacting the relative inner longitudinal tabs, and, at the same time, an outward-facing major lateral wall of each packet is kept flat by contact with an external contrast device.

Abstract: A method of producing soft packets of cigarettes, whereby an inner packet, as it is fed along a packing path, is mated with a sheet of packing material withdrawn in a direction tangential with respect to the packing path; the sheet of packing material being folded into a U about the inner packet, so that a first end portion of the sheet of packing material contacts a minor lateral surface of the inner packet, and being further folded to form a tubular package which is subsequently closed at the end; the tubular package being closed laterally by detaching the first end portion from the relative minor lateral surface, and inserting, beneath the first end portion, a second end portion, an outer surface of which has been gummed beforehand.

Abstract: A method of wrapping orderly groups of cigarettes arranged, in each group, in a number of superimposed layers, of which an outer layer is narrower than the adjacent layer and defines, in the relative group, at least one longitudinal lateral gap, the method providing for continuously feeding each group into a respective folding pocket, together with a sheet of wrapping material which is folded into a U inside the folding pocket and has a lateral portion projecting from the folding pocket; clamping the group on an end wall of the folding pocket, with the outer layer of the group facing outwards, by means of two end clamping members, each having an appendix arranged at a respective end of the longitudinal lateral gap; and folding the lateral portion of the sheet about the group and about the appendixes of the end clamping members to form a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped tubular wrapping.

Abstract: A cutting unit for cutting blanks for collars of rigid cigarette packets, wherein a continuous strip of packing material is fed in a given direction through a cutting station equipped with a knife having an incision member and a blade, and with a fixed cutting block having a counterblade; the knife oscillates, about a fixed axis crosswise to the travelling direction of the strip, to and from a work position in which the incision member cooperates with a contact surface of the cutting block to incise a portion of the strip upstream from the counterblade, and the blade is located beyond the counterblade to cut the strip along a cutting line.

Abstract: A method and machine for packing a tampon, whereby the tampon is inserted inside a tubular folding spindle of constant cross section; a sheet of packing material is then wrapped about the folding spindle and stabilized longitudinally to form a tubular wrapping; the folding spindle and the tubular wrapping, together with the tampon, are then parted; and the two ends of the tubular wrapping are closed transversely about the relative tampon.

Abstract: An operating wheel of a packing machine comprises an annular drum, a number of through pockets carried by the annular drum and each for receiving a respective product, a first drive for rotating the annular drum in steps to feed the pockets along an annular path extending through a loading station and an unloading station, first and second pusher for engaging respective pockets at the loading station and the unloading station respectively, a second electric drive for imparting to the pushers respective substantially radial reciprocating movements to and from respective withdrawn rest positions inside the annular drum and through the respective pockets, a first safety device for preventing the annular drum from rotating when at least one of the pushers engages a respective pocket, and a second safety device for preventing the pushers from moving from the respective withdrawn positions when the annular drum is rotating.

Abstract: A method and unit for controlling an automatic machine having a number of operating devices located along a production line for producing a succession of articles; at least one operating device having an adjustable work member, which operates in a repetitive work cycle and can be set to a number of different operating configurations to adjust the way in which it interacts with the production process of the articles; upon a command being received during normal operation of the automatic machine, the operating configuration of the adjustable work member is adjusted as the adjustable work member performs a work cycle to process an article.

Abstract: A method and unit for changing the configuration of an automatic machine, whereby a user selects a desired end configuration by means of a selection device, and a display device then displays an orderly list of all and only the operations to be performed on the machine to convert the machine from a current start configuration to the desired end configuration; the list is arranged according to the sequence in which the operations are performed, and for each operation are displayed the state of at least one respective operating value in the start configuration, and the state of the same operating value in the end configuration.

Abstract: A method and device for folding an end portion of a substantially elliptical-section, tubular wrapping for a group of cigarettes, whereby the end portion of the tubular wrapping is folded by forming three first and three second folded flaps located on opposite sides of a major axis of the elliptical section of the tubular wrapping; the first and second flaps being defined respectively by a respective central flap and by two respective lateral flaps, each of the second flaps being specular with a corresponding first flap, and being located between the major axis of the elliptical section and a packing wheel supporting the tubular wrapping; the first flaps being folded first, commencing with the first central flap; and the second flaps being folded subsequently, commencing with the second lateral flaps.

Abstract: Mouthpieces are attached to cigars by a unit comprising a transfer device located along a set feed path and incorporating a conveyor device by which the mouthpieces are advanced between a distributing station, at which they are dispensed, and a station where each one is attached to a respective cigar; also located along the path are a station supplying filter plugs, at which one such plug is inserted into each mouthpiece, and a gumming station at which one end of the mouthpiece is tacked with adhesive to ensure a firm bond with the corresponding end of the cigar.

Abstract: A method and machine for packing a group of cartons of cigarettes using a flat tubular package, whereby a top wall of the flat tubular package is engaged by suction by a gripping head, which is then moved to feed the flat tubular package to a seat which engages a bottom wall of the flat tubular package by suction; a relative rotation movement is then produced between the seat and the gripping head to convert the tubular package from the flat configuration to an open configuration; the group of cartons of cigarettes is pushed inside the open tubular package; the gripping head releases the top wall of the open tubular package; and the seat is moved to feed the tubular package to a closing station where the tubular package is closed.

Abstract: A method and device for forming groups of products, whereby a substantially continuous input succession of products is fed to an input of an endless conveyor, which has a conveying branch and a return branch extending between the input and an output, and which has a variable speed drive member operated to impart a variable speed to the conveyor at the input, and to generate, along the conveying branch, a succession of equally spaced on-line gaps defining a succession of groups of products; the conveying and return branches are both engaged by a powered compensating device for varying the lengths of the conveying and return branches in complementary manner, so as to maintain a constant speed of the conveyor at the output and compensate for any gaps in the input succession. (FIG.

Abstract: A variable-capacity store (1; 50) for elongated elements (2), in particular tobacco articles, wherein an endless conveyor (8) has a conveying branch (9) for transferring the elongated elements (2) from an input station (3) to an output station (4) of the store (1; 50), and a return branch (10) extending from the output station (4) to the input station (3); each branch (9; 10) is coiled about a relative pair (11; 12) of transmission members, (13, 15; 14, 15); and the two pairs (11; 12) of transmission members (13, 15) (14, 15) share a transmission member (15) movable transversely in controlled manner.