Abstract: A feed unit for feeding sheets to a packing line, wherein a pickup device engages a withdrawal opening, formed in a vertical hopper housing a stack of sheets, to withdraw a single sheet from the stack and feed the sheet to the packing line; two rollers are located on opposite sides of the stack at the withdrawal opening in the hopper, and each has a lateral surface, on which rests a bottom portion of the stack, and rotates continuously about a respective longitudinal axis of symmetry in such a direction as to push the sheets in the stack upwards.

Abstract: A method and automatic machine for processing a product, whereby, from all the regulating and/or monitoring items as a whole, a first group is determined containing a small number of frequently used items having a direct effect on the product; to permit fast use by an operator of the items in the first group, a screen of an interface device displays the items in the first group graphically by means of respective icons, each of which is connected to a synoptic background image showing the function of the relative item substantially in the region in which the relative item is actually effective.

Abstract: An operating wheel of a packing machine, having an annular drum; a number of through pockets carried by the annular drum and each for receiving a relative product; first drive means 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 push means for engaging respective pockets at the loading station and the unloading station respectively; second electric drive means for imparting to the push means respective substantially radial reciprocating movements to and from respective withdrawn rest positions inside the annular drum and through the respective pockets; a first safety device for preventing the annular drum from rotating when at least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 push means engages a respective pocket; and a second safety device for preventing the push means from moving from the respective withdrawn positions when the annular drum is rotating.

Abstract: A unit (1) for feeding strips (2, 3) has pins (12) supporting a first and a second reel (6, 7) of a first and a second strip (2, 3) respectively; the second reel (7) having an end (53; 56) of the second strip (3) extending at the cylindrical outer surface (52) of the second reel (7); the unit having a tool (18) having a plate (40) for joining the first and the second strip (2, 3), and a movable arm (20) having a gripping head (25; 55) for gripping the end (53; 56) along the cylindrical outer surface (52); and the gripping head (25; 55) having a first gripping face (30; 60) for gripping the first and the second strip (2, 3) between the plate (40) of the tool (18) and the first gripping face (30; 60).

Abstract: An assembly for conveying packets of cigarettes has a first and a second conveyor, which extend side by side along a given portion and are operated at a first and second speed respectively; and a transfer device, which has a deflecting member for transferring the packets of cigarettes from the first to the second conveyor along the given portion, and which is movable along the given portion.

Abstract: A method and unit for handling and processing blanks for packing tobacco articles, wherein the blanks, arranged in groups located in a storage area in a given original arrangement, are removed in groups from the storage area and fed along a path extending through a work station where each blank is subjected to at least one processing operation; the blanks are again formed into groups, and are removed in groups from the path, downstream from the work station, to be fed back to the storage area, and to be formed, in the storage area, into a given arrangement normally similar to the original arrangement; the groups are arranged, in the given arrangement, on pallets located in the storage area, which comprises an unloading area located at an input end of the path, and a loading area located at an output end of the path; a first pallet, loaded with groups of blanks for processing, is moved into the unloading area to feed the groups along the path, and an initially empty second pallet is moved into the loading area

Abstract: A rigid parallelepiped-shaped carton (1) for packets (3) of cigarettes is disclosed. The carton has a cup-shaped bottom container (8) and a substantially cup-shaped top lid (9) connected to the bottom container (8) along at least one preweakened tear line (10) running along two parallel, facing vertical lateral walls (11, 12), and along a vertical front wall (13), so as to divide each vertical wall (11, 12, 13) into a respective bottom portion (11a, 12a, 13a) forming part of the container (8), and a respective remaining top portion (11b, 12b, 13b) forming part of the lid (9); each packet (3) of cigarettes being housed inside the carton (1) with a major lateral wall (5) of the packet parallel to the front wall (13); and the preweakened tear line (10) being located at a first height (H1) along the vertical lateral walls (11, 12) and dropping to a second height (H2), lower than the first height (H1), along the vertical front wall (13).

Abstract: A turn-around device for packets, in particular packets of cigarettes, wherein the packets are fed successively, with a first surface facing forwards, to a turn-around station, from which they are extracted, with a second surface facing forwards, by a gripper conveyor, which travels through the turn-around station perpendicularly to the second surface, and has a number of grippers, each of which defines a pocket for a relative packet, and closes gradually onto the packet to control its position as it is extracted from the turn-around station with the second surface facing forwards.

Abstract: A method and machine for transferring packets, whereby, as a continuous line of packets is fed in a first direction, the first packet in the line is transferred in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, while the line and the first packet continue travelling in the first direction; the first packet is subsequently conveyed in the second direction along an output path.

Abstract: A gumming device (1) for applying gum (2) to an article (4), whereby the article (4) is fed along a path tangent to a lateral surface (22) of a gumming disk (13) having an inner chamber (16) communicating with a number of radial feed channels (17) terminating at the lateral surface (22) of the gumming disk (13); the gum (2) is fed under pressure to the inner chamber (16) to wet part of the lateral surface (22) of the gumming disk (13) via the feed channels (17); being provided a supply device (24) for supplying gum (2) under pressure to the feed channel (17) having a pump (41) for the gum (2), at least one supply conduit (25, 28) connecting an output of the pump (41) to the feed channel (17), and a valve (29) for closing the supply conduit (25, 28) which is located along the supply conduit (25, 28) and is carried by the gumming disk (13).

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 wrapping elongated articles in groups provides for feeding a first and a second pocket continuously along two respective paths having a common portion, along which the first pocket penetrates the second pocket to transfer a group from the first to the second pocket together with a sheet of wrapping material, which is folded into a U inside the second pocket and has two parallel, opposite flaps gripped between first and second lateral walls; and for compressing the group between a first and a second bottom wall and, at the same time, extracting the first lateral walls from the second pocket.

Abstract: A storage unit, wherein a store receives a succession of substantially parallelepiped-shaped products from an input conveying unit at an input and in a given feed direction, and releases a succession of rows of products to an output conveying unit at an output separate from the input; the store having a conveying device, which extends through the input and the output, has a number of elongated pockets for receiving respective rows of products, and moves in a direction crosswise to the pockets to move the pockets from the input to the output along a path portion of variable length extending about at least one pulley having an axis of rotation parallel to the pockets and to the feed direction and movable transversely to vary the length of the path portion between the input and the output.

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.

Abstract: A cigarette packing machine wherein an output wheel advances a number of gripping heads, each for receiving, at an input station, a respective packet with its longitudinal axis crosswise to the travelling direction of the gripping heads, and with outer longitudinal tabs open, detached from respective inner longitudinal tabs, and supported on respective folding wings carried by the relative gripping head; the output wheel feeds the packet through a gumming station, where gum is applied between each outer longitudinal tab and the relative inner longitudinal tab, and moves the relative folding wings to fold each outer longitudinal tab into a closed position contacting the relative inner longitudinal tab before the closed packet is fed to an output station (FIG. 2).

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 cigarette packing machine wherein a hopper for housing a mass of cigarettes has at least two outlets, each for feeding groups of cigarettes successively to respective pockets of a conveyor through a respective lateral output opening and through a tubular connecting member, which is connected to an actuating device for moving the tubular member into a maintenance position to permit access from the outside to the tubular member, and at the same time to close a respective access to the conveyor.

Abstract: A method and machine for on-line treating and/or processing containers (2), whereby a container (2) is fed along a production line (45), a portion of which is defined by an endless conveyor (3) extending through a loading station (43; 55) and an unloading station (41; 55) for containers (2); the container (2), as it is fed along by the conveyor (3), being subjected to a treatment and/or processing operation inside a respective cell (17), which is movable with the conveyor (3) to receive the container (2) at the loading station (43; 55) and to release the container (2) at the unloading station (41; 55).

Abstract: A method of conveying articles provides for feeding an article to a pocket travelling along a conveying path; gripping the article by means of suction holes located along a plate of the pocket; feeding the article and the pocket along the path; releasing and pushing the article against a locating member of the pocket as the article and the pocket are advanced; and gripping the article to the plate by means of the suction holes.