Patents by Inventor Mario Spatafora

Mario Spatafora has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11192703
    Abstract: A pack including at least one single-use capsule or pod for a portioned beverage which has two opposite bases, and a side wall connecting the two bases defining therewith a chamber for containing an aromatic substance; the pack has a sealed container for containing the capsule or pod housed in a protective inert gas atmosphere; more specifically the sealed container copies at least in part the shape of the capsule or pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Inventors: Massimo Scrivani, Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 10807747
    Abstract: The method for packaging articles provides to form a tubular wrapping of thermosealable sheet material inside which the articles to be packaged are prearranged, regularly distanced, and to feed said tubular wrapping to a cut station at which grip means, suitable to grasp in succession said articles, operate. The transverse cut of the tubular wrapping is performed in suitable step relationship in the section upstream the article grasped by said grip means and the prepackaged article is transferred to a closure rotatable head for closing the package, rotatable at a plurality of operative stations. In a first operative station the bellows folding of the open ends of the portion of tubular wrapping containing the article is performed. Successively, the sealing of said bellows folded ends of the wrapping is performed to obtain the airtight closure of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: AZIONARIA CONSTRUZIONI MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE A.C.M.A. S.P.A.
    Inventor: Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 10479537
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing packages of infusion products, such as a bag filled with a dosed quantity of a product, a tag and a length of thread attached at opposite ends to the bag and to the tag respectively, includes a closing station of the filled bag, a feeding group of the closed bag and of the tag, a sewing station for sewing each length of thread to the tags and to the bags, and an inlet station to a winding group for winding the stitched length of the thread around the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Daniele Coi, Giacomo Noferini, Stefano Nanni
  • Patent number: 10457432
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing packages of infusion products, such as a bag filled with a dosed quantity of a product, a tag and a length of thread attached at opposite ends to the bag and to the tag respectively, includes a forming group of the filled bag, a feeding group of the formed bag and of the tag, a cutting and feeding group of the length of thread, and a sewing head of the length of thread to the bag and to the tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Daniele Coi, Giacomo Noferini, Stefano Nanni
  • Publication number: 20190119020
    Abstract: A pack including at least one single-use capsule or pod for a portioned beverage which has two opposite bases, and a side wall connecting the two bases defining therewith a chamber for containing an aromatic substance; the pack has a sealed container for containing the capsule or pod housed in a protective inert gas atmosphere; more specifically the sealed container copies at least in part the shape of the capsule or pod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Massimo SCRIVANI, Mario SPATAFORA
  • Patent number: 10189622
    Abstract: A pack including at least one single-use capsule or pod for a portioned beverage which has two opposite bases, and a side wall connecting the two bases defining therewith a chamber for containing an aromatic substance; the pack has a sealed container for containing the capsule or pod housed in a protective inert gas atmosphere; more specifically the sealed container copies at least in part the shape of the capsule or pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: AZIONARIA COSTRUZIONI MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE A.C.M.A. S.P.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Scrivani, Mario Spatafora
  • Publication number: 20170240306
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing packages of infusion products, such as a bag filled with a dosed quantity of a product, a tag and a length of thread attached at opposite ends to the bag and to the tag respectively, includes a closing station of the filled bag, a feeding group of the closed bag and of the tag, a sewing station for sewing each length of thread to the tags and to the bags. and an inlet station to a winding group for winding the stitched length of the thread, around the bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Daniele Coi, Giacomo Noferini, Stefano Nanni
  • Publication number: 20170240305
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing packages of infusion products, such as a bag filled with a dosed quantity of a product, a tag and a length of thread attached at opposite ends to the bag and to the tag respectively, includes a forming group of the filled bag, a feeding group of the formed bag and of the tag, a cutting and feeding group of the length of thread, and a sewing head of the length of thread to the bag and to the tag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Daniele Coi, Giacomo Noferini, Stefano Nanni
  • Publication number: 20170233120
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing packages of infusion products, such as a bag filled with a dosed quantity of a product, a tag and a length of thread attached at opposite ends to the bag and to the tag respectively, includes a forming group of the filled bag, a feeding group of the formed bag and of the tag, a cutting and feeding group of the length of thread, and a sewing head of the length of thread to the bag and to the tag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Daniele Coi, Giacomo Noferini, Stefano Nanni
  • Publication number: 20160236842
    Abstract: A pack including at least one single-use capsule or pod for a portioned beverage which has two opposite bases, and a side wall connecting the two bases defining therewith a chamber for containing an aromatic substance; the pack has a sealed container for containing the capsule or pod housed in a protective inert gas atmosphere; more specifically the sealed container copies at least in part the shape of the capsule or pod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Massimo SCRIVANI, Mario SPATAFORA
  • Publication number: 20150329228
    Abstract: The method for packaging articles provides to form a tubular wrapping of thermosealable sheet material inside which the articles to be packaged are prearranged, regularly distanced, and to feed said tubular wrapping to a cut station at which grip means, suitable to grasp in succession said articles, operate. The transverse cut of the tubular wrapping is performed in suitable step relationship in the section upstream the article grasped by said grip means and the prepackaged article is transferred to a closure rotatable head for closing the package, rotatable at a plurality of operative stations. In a first operative station the bellows folding of the open ends of the portion of tubular wrapping containing the article is performed. Successively, the sealing of said bellows folded ends of the wrapping is performed to obtain the airtight closure of the package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventor: Mario SPATAFORA
  • Patent number: 8647459
    Abstract: A method of preparing and applying folded leaflets or coupons to packets in a cigarette packer includes the steps of cutting single leaflets from a continuous strip material, scoring them with transverse crease lines and then causing each one to wrap around one of a set of winding members operating in conjunction with a fixed restraint; a leading portion of the leaflet is taken up by the winding member, which is then set in rotation while also revolving in close proximity to the restraint, in such a way as to bend the leaflet along the crease lines and form a succession of folds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: G.D S.p.A.
    Inventor: Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 8528303
    Abstract: Strip material used in packaging machines is fed by a rotary support unit carrying a roll of a first or a second strip material, installed downstream of a feed unit supplying a first wrapping material along a first direction toward an operating station where inner wrappers are fashioned for the particular packet in production. The first strip material is decoiled by rollers and guided along the first direction to an operating station where coupons are prepared for inclusion as inserts, placed between the inner and outer wrappers of each packet. The second strip material is taken up and diverted by further rollers along a second direction, such that it is supplied to a cellophaner where it is cut and folded to fashion leaflets applied as onserts to the outer wrapper of each packet before being overwrapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: G.D S.p.A.
    Inventor: Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 8256432
    Abstract: Tobacco products are wrapped by a unit equipped with a rotating drum carrying a set of holder mechanisms around the periphery, each rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the drum, by which single products are supported and carried through an assembly station together with leaves of wrapping material received from a vacuum roller turning on an axis parallel to the axis of the drum; the vacuum roller revolves tangentially to the drum at the assembly station and comprises a system by which each leaf is transferred to a gripper associated with the support mechanism. The transfer system is timed to operate in a situation of substantially zero relative peripheral velocity between the support mechanism and the vacuum roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: G.D S.p.A.
    Inventors: Enrico Campagnoli, Salvatore Carboni, Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 8096096
    Abstract: In a packaging machine, typically a cellophaner for overwrapping packets of cigarettes, each of the packets is enveloped by a wrapping unit in a heat shrinkable wrapper presenting at least two opposite faces disposed parallel one with another. The machine also comprises a unit by which heat is applied to the wrappers, equipped with a pair of belt conveyors that present two branches, facing one another and set in motion in such a way as to transport the packets by gripping the two opposite faces of each wrapper, and at least one heating head associated with each transport branch; the heating heads are faced with a leaf of lamellar graphite bonded to the head on one side and offered in direct contact on the other to the respective branch of the corresponding belt conveyor, so as to minimize friction between the belt and the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: G.D. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Salvatore Carboni
  • Patent number: 7946330
    Abstract: A machine for applying inland revenue stamps to packets of cigarettes, the machine having a conveying device for feeding the packets along a given path through an application station; and a feed device for feeding the stamps to the application station, and applying each stamp to a given portion of a respective packet; the feed device being movable crosswise to the travelling direction to adjust the given portion of the packet to which the stamp is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: G.D Societa' per Azioni
    Inventor: Mario Spatafora
  • Patent number: 7941992
    Abstract: A method and unit for feeding products to a group-forming unit for forming groups of products, each containing a given number of products; an orderly succession of products is fed in a first direction by means of a first conveyor; an orderly succession of products is fed in a second direction, parallel to the first direction, by means of a second conveyor parallel to the first conveyor; and the products are transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor by means of a transfer device which is permanently integral with an output end of the first conveyor, is moved in the second direction upon detection of a gap along the first conveyor, and is moved in the opposite direction to the second direction to form, along the second conveyor, a number of consecutive gaps equal to the number of products in each group of products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: G.D Societa'per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Fabrizio Taleā€²
  • Publication number: 20110047935
    Abstract: Strip material used in packaging machines is fed by equipment comprising a rotary support unit carrying at least one roll of a first strip material or a second strip material, installed downstream of a feed unit supplying a first wrapping material along a first direction toward an operating station where inner wrappers are fashioned for the particular packet in production. The first strip material is decoiled by rollers and guided along the first direction to an operating station of the machine where coupons are prepared for inclusion as inserts, placed between the inner wrapper and an outer wrapper of each packet. The second strip material is taken up and diverted by further rollers along a second direction, in such a way that it can be supplied to an operating station of a cellophaner where it is cut and folded to fashion leaflets applied as onserts to the outer wrapper of each packet before being overwrapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: G.D S.P.A.
    Inventor: Mario SPATAFORA
  • Publication number: 20110002754
    Abstract: A method of preparing and applying folded leaflets or coupons to packets in a cigarette packer includes the steps of cutting single leaflets from a continuous strip material, scoring them with transverse crease lines and then causing each one to wrap around one of a set of winding members operating in conjunction with a fixed restraint; a leading portion of the leaflet is taken up by the winding member, which is then set in rotation while also revolving in close proximity to the restraint, in such a way as to bend the leaflet along the crease lines and form a succession of folds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: G.D S.p.A.
    Inventor: Mario SPATAFORA
  • Patent number: 7779846
    Abstract: Groups of cigarettes approaching a packer are transferred and inspected by a conveyor equipped with receptacles advancing along a set path, and an inspection device such as will verify the presence and the integrity of each cigarette in each receptacle and generate signals to indicate the outcome of the inspection. The conveyor also incorporates emitters in the form of permanent magnets, each associated with a relative receptacle and interacting with a receiver consisting in an array of magnetoresistors ordered along the conveying path; the receiver is capable of emitting signals synchronized with the steps of the inspection procedure and indicating the position of each receptacle relative to a fixed inspection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: G.D. S.p.A.
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Alberto Casagrande, Sergio Morelli