Method of and apparatus for making and manipulating coupons in cigarette packing machines

Abstract

Successive coupons of a series of coupons obtained as a result of repeatedly severing a web of coherent coupons are conveyed to an assembling station where the coupons are assembled with collars of the type employed in hinged lid cigarette packs. The thus assembled collars and coupons are thereupon confined between the inner and outer envelopes of successive hinged lid cigarette packs.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . The incorporation into a packing machine for smokers' products of a device for subdividing an elongated web of coherent blanks into discrete blanks preparatory to confinement of discrete blanks in packs of smokers' products.  
     
     
         2 . The improvement of  claim 1 , wherein the blanks are coupons.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus for manipulating blanks in a machine for packing smokers' products, comprising: 
 a source of blanks including means for supplying a continuous web of coherent blanks and means for subdividing the web into a series of discrete blanks; and    means for conveying successive blanks of the series to an assembling station.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said means for supplying includes a reel arranged to store a supply of convoluted web.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a magazine for temporary storage of at least one stack of superimposed discrete blanks between said reel and said conveying means.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said magazine is arranged to temporarily store a stack of blanks wherein the blanks of the stack have registering edges, said subdividing means including a knife having a cutting edge aligned with the registering edges of blanks in said magazine.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the registering edges are the front edges of blanks in said magazine.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said subdividing means includes at least one knife.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said subdividing means includes a mobile knife and a stationary counterknife.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said subdividing means includes guiding means.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a support for said subdividing means.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said subdividing means is pivotably mounted on said support.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of said conveying means is borne by said support.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a support and at least one magazine for temporary storage of at least one stack of superimposed discrete blanks between said subdividing means and said assembling station, at least one of said subdividing means, said at least one magazine and said supplying means being provided on said support.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said at least one magazine is pivotably mounted on said support.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a support, wherein at least one of said subdividing means, said supplying means and at least one magazine for temporary storage of at least one stack of superimposed discrete blanks between said subdividing means and said assembling station, being provided on said support.  
     
     
         17 . A method of manipulating blanks in a machine for packing smokers' products each of which is to contain a blank of sheet-like material, comprising-the steps of: 
 subdividing a continuous web of coherent blanks into a series of discrete blanks; and    conveying discrete blanks of the series to an assembling station.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of establishing a source of supply of collars, transporting discrete collars seriatim from the source of supply to said assembling station, and locating successive supplied blanks in predetermined positions relative to successive discrete collars at said station.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said locating step includes causing successive discrete collars to at least partially overlie the respective blanks at said station.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said subdividing and conveying steps replace steps of accumulating a stack of superimposed blanks and conveying successive blanks of the stack to said station.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the blanks are coupons.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of confining successive conveyed discrete blanks between inner and outer envelopes of discrete cigarette packs.