GB2132975A

GB2132975A - Machine for packing cigarettes

Info

Publication number: GB2132975A
Application number: GB08334321A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Renato Manservisi
Original assignee: SASIB SpA; SASIB SpA Bologna
Current assignee: SASIB SpA; SASIB SpA Bologna
Priority date: 1982-12-28
Filing date: 1983-12-23
Publication date: 1984-07-18
Also published as: IT1158537B; DE3347344A1; GB2132975B; IT8212698A0; GB8334321D0

Abstract

An automatic machine for packing cigarettes in inner tin foil wrappers and outer stiff packs, particularly packs of the type having a hinged cover, is characterized in that its endless and rotary conveyors (2,3,4,5,6,9,11,14,21, 23,25,26) move around horizontal mutually parallel axes which are transverse to the longitudinal extension of the machine. The inner tin-foil wrapper is shaped on a tubular mold (104). A cigarette-feeding hopper (1) is arranged with its longitudinal dimension longitudinally of the packing machine, the arrangement being such as to provide a packing machine having an elongated in line shape in plan view and having easily accessible portions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic machine for packing cigarettes This invention relates to an automatic machine for packing cigarettes into hard or stiff packs, particularly into packs of the type having a hinged cover.

The heretofore known packing machines of this type have not a plan-view in-line extension, i.e. they have non-regular configurations, e.g. Cconfigurations or T-configurations, which is of hindrance in case a quick intervention is required to overcome operating difficulties or to replace some elements.

The object of this invention is to eliminate these drawbacks by providing a machine for packing cigarettes into hard or stiff packs, particularly into packs of the type having a hinged cover, substantially characterized in that all, or almost all, its in-line endless and/or rotary conveyors move around horizontal mutually parallel axes which are transverse to the longitudinal extension of the packing machine.

Moreover, according to a further characteristic of the invention, the inner tin-foil wrapper for enwrapping the assembly of cigarettes contained in the hard pack is obtained, rather than by drawing as with most of the packing machines known heretofore, by a forming or molding operation - with an open end on a tubular wrapper-carrying mold through which the assembly of cigarettes is then passed to get into the wrapper while the latter is removed from the mold. According to a still further characteristic of the invention, the hopper which feeds the cigarettes to the packing machines, rather than sidewise as with most of the packing machines known heretofore, is arranged frontally, with its longitudinal dimension longitudinally to the packing machine.

By virtue of these characteristics, and particularly of the combination thereof,the packing machine of the invention has a plan-view in-line extension, and its operating elements as well as the elements feeding the expendable materials (tin-foil, blanks of the packs, collars) thereto are easily accessible. The frontal arrangement of the hopper enables the operator to check the hopper continuously to eliminate any possible jamming of the cigarettes.

Brief description of the drawings These and other characteristics of the invention and the advantages resulting therefrom will be apparent from the following description, made by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automatic machine for packing cigarettes into hard packs; Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views, on an enlarged scala, of the two complementary portions (left-hand portion and right-hand portion) of the packing machine shown in Figure 1; Figures 4 and 5 are front elevational views of the two complementary portions (left-hand portion and right-hand portion) of the machine according to Figures 2 and 3; Figures 6 and 7 are top plan views of the two complementary portions of the machine according to Figures 2 and 3;; Figures 8 to 19 are perspective views of the various successive steps to for a hard pack starting from the respective blank.

Description of the preferred embodiment With reference to the drawings, the automatic machine for packing cigarettes into hard or stiff packs, particularly into hard packs having a hinged cover, has a plan-view in-line extension, and, therefore, an elongated longitudinal extension (from the left to the right in Figures 1 to 7) and a transverse extension perpendicular to the longitudinal extension. The hopper 1 for feeding the cigarettes is located at one end of the machine (feed end, at the right-hand end in Figure 1) and has a frontal arrangement, i.e. its longer dimension is disposed longitudinally to the packing machine.As a consequ ence, the front transparent wall of the feeding hopper 1 is facing the operator attending to the machine who, therefore, can easily check the outflow of the cigarettes and can readily eliminate any irregularity.

In front of the lower end of the feeding hooper 1 tubular containers 102 are advanced which are arranged on the horizontal upper stretch of an endless conveyor 2 extending longitudinally to the packing machine and advanced intermittently in the direction indicated by the arrow. An orderly assembly of cigarettes GS, e.g. an assembly of twenty cigarettes, is formed in a known manner in each container 102 of the conveyor 2, by introducing into each container 102, upon its passage in registry with the hopper 1, three succesive layers of cigarettes formed in three successive lower regions of the hopper 1 and ejected therefrom by suitable pushers.

The progressive filling of each container 102 with an orderly group of cigarettes in three successive steps is shown by a corresponding hatching in Figure 5. In the feeding hopper 1 and in the containers 102 of the conveyor 2, the cigarettes are disposed with their longitudinal axes transversely to the longitudinal direction of the packing machine.

The containers 102 of the conveyor 2 will be disposed - at the end of said conveyor 2 - after each other co-axially with individual cells 103 of an intermittently-rotating compressor drum 3, and the cigarette assemblies GS will be each transferred from a container 102 of the conveyor 2 by means of a pusher into a cell 103 of the compressor drum 3, where they are suitably compressed by means of a slight reduction of the volume of cells 103, as described, for example, in the patent application 12604A/79 and in the utility model application 15156 B/80 of the same owner. The horizontal axis of the compressor drum 3 is arranged transversely to the packing machine and the cigarettes are transferred from the containers 102 of the conveyor 2 into the cells 103 of the compressor drum 3 with a forward movement and with their longitudinal axes disposed transversely to the packing machine.

Before being packed into a hard pack, the individual cigarette assemblies GS formed and compressed in the cells 103 of the compressor drum 3 are enwrapped in a tin-foil sheet F. These sheets are successively cut from a tin-foil band Nl unrolled from a bobbin B1. When the bobbin B1 is nearly depleted, it is automatically replaced with a spare bobbin B2, and the tin-foil sheets F will be cut from the tin-foil band N2 unrolled from the bobbin B2. In the meantime, the depleted bobbin B1 is replaced with a new bobbin wherefrom the tin-foil sheets F will be cut when the bobbin B2 will be nearly depleted, and so on. An electronically-controlled device for this automatic changeover of the tin-foil bobbins B1, B2 is described, for example, in the patent application 12484A/81 of the same owner.

During the unrolling from the bobbin B1 or B2, the tin-foil band N1 or N2 is goffered and spaced slits I are made therein at regular intervals, shown with broken lines in Figure 3, to define or each tin-foil sheet F a region designed to form a removable cap at the head of the inner tin-foil wrapper, to facilitate the opening of the wrapper and withdrawing of the cigarettes.

The tin-foil sheets F are fed to a drum 4 for forming the inner tin-foil wrapper, said drum 4 being provided with a plurality of wrapper-carrying tubular molds 104, so-called "arbors", having their axes parallel to the axis of the drum 4. The axis of the inner wrapper-forming drum 4 is arranged horizontally and is directed transversely to the machine, as are the axes of the two bobbins B1, B2 or of the respective supports. The inner-tin-foil wrapperforming drum 4 is arranged, with reference to the transverse direction of the packing machine, between the compressor drum 3 and a drum 5 designed to close the head of the inner tin-foil wrapper. The drum 3 is located rearwardly of the drum 4, while the drum 5 is located forwardly of the drum 4, as shown particularly in Figure 7.

The axis of the drum 5 for closing the head of the inner tin-foil wrapper is also arranged horizontally and is directed transversely to the packing machine.

The three parallel drums 3,4 and 5 are rotated intermittently and sinchronously to each other, so as to obtain the following operation: Around each tubular mold 104 of the drum 4, a tin-foil wrapper is formed with a sheet F in a conventional manner and by closing the head of the wrapper which is directed forwardly, i.e. toward the front drum 5. In a successive angular position, each tubular mold 104 of the drum 4 is disposed co-axialy with a cell 103 of the compressor drum 3, and the previously-compressed assembly of cigarettes is transferred by means of a forwardly-acting pusher from the cell 103 of the drum 3 into the corresponding tubular mold 104 of the drum 4.In a still successive angular position, the tubular mold 104 of the drum 4 is disposed co-axially with a tubular cell 105 of the drum 5 and the assembly of cigarettes is transferred, by means of a forwardly-acting pusher, from the tubular mold of the drum 4 into the tubular cell 105 of the drum 5, together with the tin-foil wrapper which is simultaneously removed from the tubular mold 104 of the drum 4. At the drum 5, the head of the tin-foil wrapper is closed, e.g. as described in the patent application 12589at81 of the same owner.In a successive angular position, each cell 105 of the drum 5 where the head of the tin-foil wrapper is closed is positioned co-axially with a container 106 of the horizontal upper stretch of an endless conveyor 6 extending in the same longitudinal direction as the packing machine, and each cigarette assembly completely enclosed in a tin-foil wrapper is transferred by means of a pusher 7 and with a forward movement from the cell 105 of the drum 5 into the container 106 of the upper stretch of the conveyor 6.

Previously, and specifically at the horizontal lower stretch of the conveyor 6, the collar C has been inserted into the container 106 of the conveyor 6, said collar being designed to form, in the finished hard pack, the insert mouthpiece whereon the hinged cover is fitted. These collars are sequentially punched from a paperboard band NC1 or NC2 unrolled from a bobbin BC1 or BC2.

The two bobbins BC1 and BC2 are arranged with their axes in a horizontal transverse direction on the front side of the packing machine, under the cigarette-feeding hopper 1 and associated conveyor 2. The paperboard band NC1 or NC2 is supplied by means of an electronically-controlled device, with automatic changeover of the bobbins BC1, BC2, similar to the device used for supplying the tin-foil band N1 or N2. The successive collars C are spaced from each other while advancing on a horizontal longitudinal pathway and arrive one by one on the head of a vertical pusher which makes them turn through 90" and moves them upwards, each into a container 106 of the conveyor 6.The containers 106 of the conveyor 6 are constructed so as to receive each a collar C with the side wings thereof in a divaricated position, means being provided to hold the collar C in the respective container 106 of the conveyor 6. On the upper stretch of the conveyor 6 which advances step by step in the direction indicated by the arrow, a cigarette assembly GS, enclosed in the tin-foil wrapper, as described above, is housed into a container 106 above the collar C.

The hard packs for the cigarettes are formed from blanks A forming a pile PA in a vertical conduit at the discharge end of the packing machine remote from the end equipped with the cigarette feeding hopper 1, that is the left-hand end in Figure 1. The blanks A are drawn after each other from the base of the pile PA and are laid on the horizontal upper stretch of a blank-carrying endless conveyor 9 extending in the longitudinal direction of the packing machine toward the feed end thereof, and is advance step by step as indicated by the arrow. This blank-carrying conveyor 9 is provided with equally-spaced transverse ribs 109 wherebetween said blanks A are laid down after being drawn from the pile PA by a prehensile member 10, such as a sucker member, which during the dwell period between two successive steps of the conveyor 9 - moves upwardly through a slot formed between each pair of transverse ribs 109 so as to hold and draw down the lowermost blank A of the pile PA. The blanks A are supplied to the vertical conduit containing the pile PA in the form of individual packages PA1 carried in line by a horizontal conveyor/magazine 11 extending longitudinally to the packing machine above said blank-carrying conveyor 9 and advanced automatically, in the direction indicated by the arrow, toward the vertical conduit containing the pile PA when the latter is to be replenished.The first or leading package carried by the conveyor/magazine 11 is then withdrawn from the latter and aid on the pile PA in the vertical conduit by means of an automatic transfer device 12.

During the step by step movement of the blankcarrying conveyor 9, a glueing device 13 arranged under the upper stretch of said conveyor applies through suitable slots in the conveyor 9 - on the downwardly-facing not printed face of each blank A, a stripe of glue at the inner edge Al of the cover and two stripes of glue at the front face A2 of the pack.

Such an application of glue is effected on a blankA which is still in a completely stretched condition, as shown in Figure 8. Thereafter, in the station IX of the blank-carrying conveyor 9, said edge Al is folded down to overlap the lower edge of the adjacent front portion A3 of the cover, as shown in Figure 9. The two stripes of glue applied on the blank A at the front portion A2 of the pack are intended to secure to a pack said collar and tin-foil wrapper enwrapping the respective assembly of cigarettes, as described hereinafter.

Just above the end portion of the blank-carrying conveyor 9 is a successive horizontal endless conveyor 14, or pack-forming conveyor. This conveyor 14 extends longitudinally to the packing machine and is advanced step by step as indicated by the arrows. The pack-forming conveyor 14 carries a series of U-shaped containers 114, and a vertical pusher 15 passing through the slots of the blankcarrying conveyor 9 between the transverse ribs 109 thereof, lifts the respective blanks A carried by said conveyor 9 and introduces them upwardly into each of said containers 114 when at the lower stretch of the conveyor 14. By virtue of their resiliency, the blanks A, thus transferred from the conveyor 9 into the containers 114 of the overlying conveyor 14, are held therein by suitable small detents.

The side walls of the containers 114 of the pack-forming conveyor 14 are slightly inclined or diverging outwardly. As a consequence, upon the introduction of each blank A at the station X upwardly into a container 114 of the conveyor 14, the two side pairs of flaps A4,A8 - corresponding to the side and head of the cover - and the two side pairs of flaps A5,A6 - corresponding to the side and bottom of the pack body - are folded down substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the blank A, as shown in Figure 10.

During the further step-by-step movement of the conveyor 14, at the lower stretch thereof, the following operations are carried out on each blank A housed in a container 114: At a station XI, the two opposed inner flaps A6 of the pack bottom are folded inwardlythrougn 90 , as shown in Figure 11. Thereafter, at a station XII, or progressively at a plurality of successive stations Xll-Xlla, the folding down is effected of all the portion of the blank A comprising the outer bottom portion A7, front portion A2 and respective outer flaps A9 corresponding to the sides of the pack, as shown in Figure 12.

The upper stretch of the pack-forming conveyor 14 extends in front of the lower stretch of the conveyor 6, whose containers 106 are disposed on completion of each step co-axially with a container 114 of said conveyor 14. At this upper stretch of the conveyor 14 and during its step-by-step movement in the direction of the arrow (from the right to the left in the drawings) the following operations are carried out: At the station XIII, the two inner flaps A8 of the cover are folded through about 90" outwards, as shown in Figure 13; thereafter, at the station XIV, a cigarette assembly GS enclosed in a tin-foil wrapper and associated with a collar C is transferred, by means of the pusher 16, from each container 106 of the conveyor 6 into each container 114 of the conveyor 14, thus introducing it into the pack being formed in said container 114, as shown in Figure 14. It is to be noted that this transfer of the cigarette assembly GS is effected at the lower stretch of the conveyor 6, whereby said cigarette assembly GS is turned upside down and the collar C is brought on the upper stretch into a position opposite to the front portion A2 of the pack (Figure 14). On completion of this transfer, at the station XV, the front portion A2 of the pack body with the two respective side flaps A9 is folded onto the cigarette assembly GS enclosed in the tin-foil wrapper, as shown in Figure 15.By this operation, both the collar C and the tin-foil wrapper enclosing the cigarette assembly GS are secured to the front portion A2 of the pack by means of the glue stripes previously applied by the glueing device 13 (at said blank-carrying conveyor 9) onto said front portion A2 of the blank A. Thereafter, at the station XVI, the two inner flaps A8 of the head of the pack are folded by 1800 toward the interior, as shown in Figure 16, whereafter, at the station XVI I, all the portion of the blank A, comprising the head A10 of the cover and front portion Al +A3 of the cover with respective side flaps All, is folded up to a position substantially perpendicular to the plane of the conveyor 14, as shown in Figure 17.By the latter operation, the head AlOof the cover is contacted with the two inwardly-folded side edges A8. At the successive station XVIII, the assembly of the two glued flaps Al +A3 (forming the front portion of the cover) and respective side flaps All (forming the sides of the cover) is folded down onto the pack being formed, as shown in Figure 18. By this operation, the cigarette assembly GS in the tin-foil wrapper and the collar C are enclosed in a pack which is substantially formed though still incomplete.

Just before the left end of the upper stretch of the pack-forming conveyor 14, said incomplete packs Pl are expelled with a backward movementtrasversely to the conveyor 14 one by one from the respective containers 114 of said conveyor 14, by means of a pusher 17 which, therefore, introduces said incomplete packs Pl into a horizontal transverse pathway 18. The incomplete packs Pl move backwards step by step along said transverse pathway 18, whereat a glueing device 19 applies the glue onto the undersurface of the flaps A9 and All still projecting from both sides of the incomplete pack Pl and intended to form the sides of the pack and of the cover.

The transverse pathway 18forthe incomplete packs Pl is relatively short and terminates below one end of a horizontal endless drying conveyor 21 extending in the longitudinal direction of the packing machine and provided with containers 121 adapted to contain a complete pack P. A vertical pusher 20 introduces the incomplete packs Pl upwards each into a container 121 of the drying conveyor 21. Upon this introduction, the outer flaps A9 of the pack body and All of the pack cover are bent down and glued to the respective inner flaps A4 and AS folded previously, thus completing the pack, as shown in Figure 19.The drying conveyor 21 is moved step by step in the direction indicated by the arrows and conveys the complete packs P through a sufficiently long path of travel, for example to the opposite end of the conveyor 21 on the lower stretch thereof and then back to the other end thereof on the upper stretch of said conveyor, so as to permit the glue to set firmly.At the end of the conveyor 21 adjacent to the zone of the transverse pathway 18, the completed packs P are transferred one by one by one by means of a pusher 22 with a backward movement in a transverse direction from the containers 121 of the upper stretch of the drying conveyor 21 into the cells of an overturning drum 23 which is located behind the conveyor 21 and is moved step by step in the direction indicated by the arrow so as to bring the cells thereof sequentially into a co-axial position to the containers 121 of the drying conveyor 21. A pusher 24, arranged within the overturning drum 23, expels the packs P from the cells of the drum 23 and introduces them sidewise one by one between two horizontal discharging conveyors 25, 26 which are spaced above each other and extend longitudinally to the packing machine toward the discharge end thereof (left end in Figure 1).Upon each expelling stroke of the pusher 24, the pair of discharging conveyors 25, 26 is advanced one step correspond ing to the thickness of a pack P, thus advancing the entire row of packs therebetween accordingly. The front face of each pack P between the two discharg ing conveyors 25, 26 is directed downstream (with reference to the advancing direction of said conveyors 25, 25, to prevent the glued side flaps A9 and All forming the pack sides from detaching. In the path of travel of the packs P between the discharging conveyors 25, 26 heating means, for example electric resistances, may be provided to set the glue more firmly.

When a thermo-fluidized and cold-setting glue is used on the packs, the drying conveyor 21 may be omitted and the pusher 20 may introduce the incomplete packs Pl directly into the cells of the overturning drum 23, where the folding down and glueing of the side outer flaps A9, All is effected.

The packing machine described above is generally provided with means (not shown) for checking automatically whether the orderly cigarette assemb lies formed in the tubular containers 102 of the conveyor 2 are complete, or whether the respective cigarettes are defective. The cigarette assemblies which are incomplete or which contain defective cigarettes are discarded. Each time a cigarette assembly is discarded, the feeding is prevented of the respective tin-foil sheet F, collar C and blank A.

Any tin-foil wrapper not provided with a collar C is discarded by the pusher 27 through a conduit 28 at the upper stretch of the conveyor 6. Any incomplete pack Pl with side flaps A9, All disposed improperly are discarded at the station downstream of the station XVI II at the upper stretch of the conveyor 14, by means of the pusher 29 and conduit 30.

The endless conveyors 2,6,9,11,14,21,25,26 of the packing machine may be constituted by conveyor belts or they may comprise conveyor chains.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment here shown and described, but broad changes and modifications may be made thereto, especially of constructional nature and concerning, for example, the various operating devices such as folding devices, transfer devices, pushers, checking devices, control devices, etc., without departing from the basic principle set forth above and claimed hereinafter.

Claims

1. An automatic machine for packing cigarettes into hard packs, particularly into packs having a hinged cover, characterized in that it has an in-line extension, and all, or almost all, of its in-line endless conveyors (2,6,9,11,14,21,25,26) or rotary conveyors (3,4,5,23) move around horizontal mutually parallel axes which are transverse to the longitudinal extension of the packing machine.

2. A packing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner tin-foil wrapper for enwrapping the cigarette assembly (GS) to be housed in the rigid pack (P) is formed - with an open end - on a tubular wrapper-carrying mold (104) wherethrough the cigarette assembly is then passed to be received in said wrapper which is simultaneously removed from the tubular wrappercarrying mold.

3. A packing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cigarette4eeding hopper (1) is arranged with its longitudinal dimension longitudinally to the packing machine and is directed with its front wall toward the front side of the packing machine, with the cigarettes therein being arranged with their longitudinal axes transversely to said packing machine.

4. A packing machine according to the claim 1, characterized in that at the end of the endless conveyor (2) extending horizontally longitudinally to the packing machine in front of the lower end of the feeding hopper (1) and carrying tubular containers (102) wherein orderly assemblies of cigarettes (GS) are formed, there are provided in three different planes located behind each other transversely to the packing machine - three drums (3,4,5) rotating around parallel axes transverse to the packing machine and comprising a rear compressor drum (3) which receives and compresses in the cells (103) thereof the orderly cigarette assemblies (GS) formed in the containers (102) of the endless conveyor (2) running in front of the feeding hopper (1), and an intermediate drum (4) provided with tubular molds (104) whereon the tin-foil wrappers are formed with a closed front end and an open rear end, the cigarette assemblies expelled from the cells (103) of the rear compressor drum (3) being passed through said tubular molds (104) to remove the tin-foil wrappers from said tubular molds (104) and to get housed therein and together with them - in the cells (105) of the front drum (5), whereat the rear end of the tin-foil wrapper is closed.

5. A packing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that at the region of the discharge end of the packing machine opposite to the end provided with the feeding hopper (1), and above the end portion of a horizontal endless blank-carrying conveyor (9) extending longitudinally toward the end of the packing machine provided with the feeding hopper (1), there is provided a pile (PA) of clanks (A) which are withdrawn one by one from the base of the pile (PA) and are laid down in corresponding seats (109-109) on the upper stretch ofthe blank-carrying conveyor (9), whereat glue is applied on some regions (Al, A2) of the undersurface of the blanks (A), and above the end portion of the blank-carrying conveyor (9), which is adjacent to the feeding end of the packing mchine, is the end portion of a horizontal endless pack-forming conveyor (14) extending longitudinally to the packing machine toward the feeding hopper (1) and whose end portion which is nearer to said hopper cooperates with the end portion of a horizontal endless wrapper-carrying conveyor (6) also extending longitudinally to the packing machine toward the feeding hopper (1) and whose end portion which is nearer to said feeding hopper is located is front of the drum (5) where the rear end of the tin-foil wrapper is closed and above a longitudinal pathway for feeding the collars (C) for the packs (P).

6. A packing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that said collars are obtained from paperboard bands (NC1, NC2) unrolled alternately from two bobbins (BC1, BC2) located at the front of the packing machine below the feeding hopper(l), with electronic control and automatic changeover device for the bobbins, while the collars C prepared as above and spaced from each other are introduced upwardly one by one each into a container (106) on the lower stretch of the wrapper-carrying conveyor (6) and thereafter, at the upper stretch of said wrapper-carrying conveyor (6), a cigarette assembly GS in a tin-foil wrapper is transferred from a cell (105) of the drum (5) into each container (106) of the conveyor (6) over the collar (C).

7. A packing machine according to the claim 4, characterized in that the tin-foil sheets (F) fed to the intermediate drum (4) to form the tin-foil wrappers on the tubular molds (104) thereof, are obtained from two tin-foil bands (N1, N2) unrolled alternately from two bobbins (B1, B2) arranged frontally in the top rear portion of the packing machine substantially in the region of the blank-carrying conveyor (9), in association with an electronic control and automatic changeover device for the bobbins.

8. A packing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a horizontal endless conveyor (11) and magazine for the blanks (A), arranged above the blank-carrying conveyor (9) and extending longitudinally to the packing machine, carries a succession of packages (PA1) of blanks which are advanced toward the pile (PA) of blanks and are laid down thereon.

9. A packing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the blanks (A) are transferred from the respective seats (109-109) of the upper stretch of the blank-carrying conveyor (9) one by one upwards each into a container (114) of the lower stretch of the pack-forming conveyor (14), some of the folding operations on the blank (A) being effected at said lower stretch of the conveyor (14) during its movement toward the feed end of the packing machine, and a cigarette assembly (GS) in a tin-foil wrapper withdrawn from the adjacent lower stretch of the respective end portion of the wrappercarrying conveyor (6) is then transferred - at the upper stretch of said conveyor (14) and during its movement toward the discharge end of the packing machine - into each container (114) of the conveyor (14) and into the pack being formed therein, after which the blank folding operations continue at the upper stretch of the pack-forming conveyor (14) until an incomplete pack (PI) is obtained whose flaps (A9, A11) corresponding to the outer portions of the sides of the pack body and cover still project upwards from both sides of the pack (Figure 18).

10. A packing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the incomplete packs (PI), expelled transversely from the pack-forming conveyor (14) are displaced with a backward movement on a short transverse pathway (18), whereat the undersurfaces of said projecting side flaps (A9, A11) are coated with glue, whereafter said incomplete packs (PI) are transferred one by one upwardly, while said projecting side flaps (A9, All) are simultaneouslyfolded, each into a container (121) ofthe lower stretch of an overlying horizontal endless drying conveyor (21) extending longitudinally to the packing machine toward the discharge end thereof.

11. A packing machine according to claim 10, characterized in that after travelling on the lower stretch of the drying conveyor (21) in one direction and on the upper stretch thereof in the opposite direction, the now completed packs (P) are transferred one by one into the cells of an overturning drum (23) arranged side-by-side with the containers (121) of the upper stretch of the drying conveyor (21) and rotating about a horizontal axis which is transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the packing machine.

12. A packing machine according to the claim 11, characterized in that when a thermally fluidized glue is used to prepare the packs (P), the drying conveyor (21) may be eliminated and the incomplete packs (PI) are introduced, at the end of the short transverse pathway (18), one by one upwards, while simultaneously folding said projecting side flaps (A9, All), each directly into a cell of the overturning drum (23).

13. A packing machine according to claim 12, characterized in that said packs (P) are expelled from the cells of the overturning drum (23) sidewise between two horizontal endless discharging conveyors (25, 26) which are spaced above each other and extending longitudinally to the packing machine toward the discharge end thereof.

14. An automatic machine for packing cigarettes, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.