US 12,233,619 B2
Manufacturing machine and manufacturing method for the production of a tubular element, in particular for a smoking article
Roberto Ghiotti, Monte S. Pietro (IT); Enrico Manfredi, Bologna (IT); and Yuri Negrini, Bologna (IT)
Assigned to SASIB S.P.A., Castel Maggiore (IT)
Appl. No. 17/798,000
Filed by SASIB S.P.A., Castel Maggiore (IT)
PCT Filed Feb. 5, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/050957
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 5, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/156816, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 12, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102020000002395 (IT), filed on Feb. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0084810 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B31C 7/02 (2006.01); A24C 5/00 (2020.01); A24C 5/46 (2006.01)
CPC B31C 7/02 (2013.01) [A24C 5/002 (2013.01); A24C 5/465 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manufacturing machine (8) for the production of a tubular element (1) for a smoking article; the manufacturing machine (8) comprises:
an input conveyor (9), which moves at least one first pocket (11) along an input path (P1);
a wrapping conveyor (16), which moves at least one spindle (18), which has the shape of an inner cavity of the tubular element (1), along a wrapping path (P2);
a feeding station (S1), where the first pocket (11) receives a wrapping sheet (3); and
a first transfer station (S3), where the first pocket (11) releases the wrapping sheet (3) to the spindle (18) folding the wrapping sheet (3) around the spindle (18) into a “U” shape;
wherein the first pocket (11) has a holding wall (12), which is designed to hold the wrapping sheet (3) through suction and has, at the center, a groove (13), which reproduces in negative the shape of the tubular element (1); and
wherein a relative movement between the first pocket (11) and the spindle (18) is caused in the first transfer station (S3), wherein the spindle (18) pushes the wrapping sheet (3) into the groove (13) of the holding wall (12), thus allowing the wrapping sheet (3) to be folded around the spindle (18) into a “U” shape.