Patents Assigned to Focke & Co.
  • Publication number: 20150232219
    Abstract: A method for filling packs with products, in particular for filling boxes with multipacks of cigarette packs in which several products are put together to form a product group. The completeness of the product group is detected by a first control device. Several product groups are put together by a handling device to form a group of product groups and are inserted into the pack, wherein the presence of the group in the pack and/or the completeness of the group of product groups is detected by a second control device. The feeding of groups to the pack is repeated where necessary until a provided number of groups have been filled into the pack, which corresponds to a required quantity of groups or product groups in the pack, and the presence of the groups in the pack is detected or documented by a control device, in particular the second control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: FOCKE & CO. (GMBH & CO. KG)
    Inventors: Wolfgang Kern, Falko Böger
  • Publication number: 20150225100
    Abstract: A method for operating a production and packaging installation for hygiene products, wherein the hygiene products are produced by a production machine, and the hygiene products produced are packaged by at least two packaging machines which are assigned to the production machine and are intended for packaging the hygiene products in particular so that they are ready for dispatch. At least two packaging machines assigned to a grouping conveyor form a machine group, wherein the performance of the packaging machines of the machine group are adapted automatically in accordance with the performance of the production machine and/or the individual performances available for the packaging machines of the machine group, and/or wherein the number of hygiene products with which the holders of the grouping conveyor are filled is selected automatically for each holder in dependence on which of the packaging machines the hygiene product of the respective holder is intended.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Andreas Jelken, Marco Schloermann
  • Publication number: 20150203231
    Abstract: A method for handling (flat) objects, particularly hygiene products such as nappies, sanitary napkins or similar, said objects being transported on a substantially continuously-driven feed conveyor and being compressed following transport on said feed conveyor. A group of objects is shifted from the feed conveyor by a shifting device, particularly a slider, said slider at least partially travelling in the transport direction of the feed conveyor with the objects during the shifting action; in that the group of objects is preferably fed, by said shifting device, to a first compression device and is at least partially (pre)compressed thereby; and in that the at least partially (pre)compressed group of objects is subsequently fed to a second compression device and undergoes a further (main) compression therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Björn Brandhorst, Andreas Neufeld
  • Patent number: 9080686
    Abstract: The invention relates to a valve particularly for transferring small portions of glue onto folding tabs of (cigarette) packs. A closing element (15) of the valve is actuated by different elements, that is to say, is moved between the open and closed positions, on the one hand by two permanent magnets (24, 25) arranged a short distance from each other and having aligned poles such that the closing element is permanently kept in the closed position by the permanent magnets (24, 25). On the other hand, an actuating element, which is configured as an electromagnet (23), acts to move the closing element (15) into the open position in a controlled way by overcoming the closing forces. The closing element (15) is designed in a particular way, that is to say, with channels extending along the outside in the longitudinal direction for the medium or the glue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Reinhard Hoppe, Ralf Barkmann, Stefan Harms, Christian Schönherr
  • Patent number: 9056726
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for grouping (flat) articles (10), in particular hygiene products such as diapers, wherein the articles (10) to be grouped are conveyable individually and one after another on a feed conveyor (19) and are suppliable to a grouping conveyor (12). The invention is characterized in that the grouping conveyor (12) has compartments (13) for in each case one group (11) of articles (10), in which compartments the articles (10) are arranged preferably standing upright, in particular tightly packed together, wherein the articles (10) are suppliable by means of the feed conveyor (19) at an angle, in particular substantially transversely, with respect to the conveying direction of the grouping conveyor (12) and are conveyable in the conveying direction of the grouping conveyor (12) by way of a substantially cone-shaped conveyor (24) thus forming a group (11) of articles (10) in one compartment (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Josef Schulte, Andreas Prahm, Björn Brandhorst
  • Patent number: 8991784
    Abstract: A glue valve with electromagnetic actuation of a valve tappet (15) having a valve housing (10), which has a lateral aperture which is open in the upward direction, that is to say a side opening (36). A coil core (13) and a transversely directed carrying crosspiece (26), on which a plug (22) can be fitted, form a unit, that is to say a coil unit (21), which can be introduced into the valve housing (11) in one operation, via the side opening (36) which is open in the upward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Eric Jürgens, Reinhard Hoppe
  • Publication number: 20150053876
    Abstract: The valve, in particular glue valve, consists of a valve housing (10) and of a plug unit (11) fitted thereto. The two parts are assembled separately, with connecting clips (41, 42) being connected to the plug unit (11) and, when the plug unit (11) is fitted onto the valve housing (10), being connected to the latter, namely to the coil core (15), via clamping members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GbmH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Nils Neuhaus, Marc-Daniel Stegen, Reinhard Hoppe
  • Patent number: 8948898
    Abstract: A method for operating a gluing system (10) for gluing blanks for producing and/or packaging cigarettes or other smokable objects, in which the blanks are conveyed along glue valves (11) of the gluing system (10), in which case, in order to control and/or regulate the glue valves (11), a superordinate master controller (13) respectively transmits values of at least one control and/or regulation parameter to individual controllers (15) which are assigned to the glue valves (11), are subordinate to the master controller (13) and are each connected to the superordinate master controller (13) via a suitable data connection, the subordinate controller (15) using said values to control and/or regulate the glue valve (11) assigned to it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Ralf Barkmann, Wolfgang Rohwedder, Marc-Daniel Stegen
  • Publication number: 20150027916
    Abstract: An aroma-tight cigarette pack with an outer pack (12) configured in the form of a hinge-lid box, and also with an inner pack (11) configured in the form of a sealed block with an opening aid which can be used a number of times. The opening aid has a removal opening (51) which extends in a sub-region of an inner front wall (39) and of an adjacent inner end wall (41) and is covered over by a closure label (54) with an adhesively bonding connecting periphery (55). The inner pack (11) has closure seams (37) which are designed in the form of fin seams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventor: Henry Buse
  • Publication number: 20150013277
    Abstract: For the automatic insertion of packs (11) into a large-volume carton (10), two work tools are used, namely, a pack robot (33) with carton holder (30) for holding the cartons (10) ready and a pack robot (33) with head (37) for inserting the individual packs (11) one after another into the carton (10) in the region of a packing station (33). Through relative movement of carton (10) and pack (11), different pack formations are created within the carton (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: FOCKE & CO. (GMBH & CO. KG)
    Inventors: Bjorn Brandhorst, Frank Sachs, Andreas Neufeld
  • Publication number: 20150000592
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for applying preferably liquid flavorings (15), in particular menthol, to a medium (16), wherein flavoring (15) is supplyable from a (storage or processing) container (10) to an applicator unit (14) via at least one conduit (11, 13). The invention is characterized in that the applicator unit (14) has a controllable valve for the application of flavoring (15) to the medium (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Jan Schnakenberg, Stefan Harms, Reinhard Hoppe
  • Patent number: 8910782
    Abstract: A multipack having a plurality of cuboidal cigarette packs (13), which are partially surrounded by an outer wrapper (14) made of packaging material, the packs (13) being subject, in the region of base side faces (18) thereof, to subsequent application of tax markings (23), and the outer wrapper (14) not extending over the regions of the packs (13) at which the tax markings (23) are to be applied to corresponding faces of the packs (13), that is, not in or substantially not in the region of a base side (19) of the multipack (10), with the outer wrapper (14) being detachably connected to the packs (13) by glue points (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Johann Koster, Andre Hopf
  • Publication number: 20140352262
    Abstract: A method for handling bags (10), in particular wicketed bags, combined into bundles (13) and for feeding the bags (10) to a packaging machine (11), and a corresponding apparatus. In the method and apparatus, the bags (10) are supplied in a plurality of bundles (13) in a magazine (14) arranged upstream of the packaging machine (11); the bundles (13) are arranged on bag carriers (15) in each case such that the bag carriers (15) extend through suspension holes (12) of the bags (10); the bag carriers (15) with the bags (10) located thereon are fed from the magazine (14) to the packaging machine (11); and the bundles (13) are transferred from the bag carriers (15) directly to appropriately arranged receiving pins (28) of a cyclically driven conveying device (29) of the packaging machine (11) and are then filled in the packaging machine (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Frank Sachs, Björn Brandhorst, Jörg Schnecke
  • Publication number: 20140311930
    Abstract: A pack, and a method and apparatus for producing the pack, comprising an outer pack and an inner pack as a sealed block with an inner blank which encloses the pack contents, the inner pack having, in the region of an inner end wall, an opening aid which can be used a number of times and, in the region of side walls of the inner pack, folding flaps which are connected to one another by thermal sealing. Folding flaps in the region of an inner rear wall of the inner blank are configured as a fin fold and are connected to one another by thermal sealing outside the region of the cigarette group to form a fin seam, the fin seam being arranged at a spacing from regions of folding flaps which cover one another multiple times, in the region of the inner side walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Henry Buse, Reinhard Lohmann
  • Publication number: 20140311096
    Abstract: A device and a method for manufacturing an item of packaging for a group (27) of smokable articles (11), in particular cigarettes, having a wrapping, preferably an inner wrapping, of, in particular, a thin packaging material, such as paper, tinfoil or the like, in which a material web (31) of the packaging material is severed into individual blanks (10) and in which the article groups (27) to be wrapped are in each case wrapped with the individual blanks (10). Flavoring and/or aromatic portions (42) for the smokable articles are applied to the packaging-material web (31), which flavoring and/or aromatic portions (42), after application, are at least in regions reduced in their height by a processing means, preferably in that they are spread flat and/or pressed flat by the processing means (47).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Stefan Harms, Marc-Daniel Stegen, Jan Riepenhusen
  • Publication number: 20140290180
    Abstract: A method for producing and/or packaging cigarettes, in a system in which at least one production unit is fed packaging units from a lower packaging level, and the production unit packages the packaging units in associated packaging units from a higher level, and the packaging units from the higher packaging level each comprise one or more packaging units from the lower packaging level. A camera records images of the packs of the packaging units from the lower level which are to be fed, or have been fed, to the production unit, and a camera records images of the packs of the packaging units from the higher level which are respectively assigned to the packaging units from the lower level, and the recorded images of the packs of the respectively associated packaging units are each assigned to a common identifier, preferably to a machine-internal counting number of the production unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: FOCKE & CO. (GMBH & CO. KG)
    Inventors: Hartmut Olbrich, Michael Czarnotta, Hartmut Levers
  • Patent number: 8833732
    Abstract: A valve for processing glue or other media, the valve having magnets, in particular permanent magnets, that are used for actuating a closure member (16). Two individual magnets (22, 23) located opposite one another are provided, at least in a region which is in contact with the medium or glue, with a protective layer or covering (34), which is preferably designed as a cap and consists of titanium, other metal or plastics material, in order to protect the magnets (22, 23) against the effects of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Neudeck Heiko, Sylvia Rose, Jan Schnakenberg, Marc-Daniel Stegen
  • Patent number: 8826633
    Abstract: A pack, and a method and apparatus for producing the pack, comprising an outer pack and an inner pack as a sealed block with an inner blank which encloses the pack contents, the inner pack having, in the region of an inner end wall, an opening aid which can be used a number of times and, in the region of side walls of the inner pack, folding flaps which are connected to one another by thermal sealing. Folding flaps in the region of an inner rear wall of the inner blank are configured as a fin fold and are connected to one another by thermal sealing outside the region of the cigarette group to form a fin seam, the fin seam being arranged at a spacing from regions of folding flaps which cover one another multiple times, in the region of the inner side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Henry Buse, Reinhard Lohmann
  • Publication number: 20140226892
    Abstract: A method and a device for the optical testing of objects during the production and/or packaging of cigarettes, in particular of cigarette packs and/or blanks for cigarette packs and/or overprints and/or print substrates on or for cigarette packs, with the aid of a suitable testing device. For at least one feature characterizing the test object, in particular in a visual respect, a set of feature-value alternatives for the corresponding feature that are stored in a memory is displayed on a display means. By means of an input device, one of the displayed feature values of the set of feature-value alternatives is selected. The testing device is automatically set up or preset for the subsequent testing operations, in particular an evaluating device and/or an illuminating device and/or a suitable light detector of the testing device, the selection of the feature value influencing the setting up of the testing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Vincent Kral, Michael Czarnotta
  • Patent number: 8763349
    Abstract: A method and device for producing bundle packages, in particular bundle packages (10) for cigarettes (cigarette carton 11), wherein a group of packs (12), in particular cigarette packs, is encased in an outer casing (13) to form the bundle package (10), and wherein the packs (12) respectively exhibit a code (19), in particular a barcode, and the group of packs (12) is encased in the outer casing (13) such that the code (19) of the packs (12) is not concealed by the outer casing (13) and that a means (20, 23) for concealing the code of the packs (12), in particular a pre-cut piece (20), such as an (adhesive) label, and a code (21) for the bundle package (10) are subsequently arranged on the bundle package (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co. KG)
    Inventors: Andreas Prahm, Falko Böger