DE102023107947A1 - Method and device for handling packages for products of the cigarette industry - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for handling packs (52) for products of the cigarette industry, wherein blanks of packaging material are folded on a folding turret (32) around a pack content of the packs (52), and wherein the partially completed packs (52) are discharged from the folding turret (32) and conveyed along a transport path (44), and wherein folding tabs of the blanks are provided with adhesive and connected to one another in the region of the folding turret (32) and/or the subsequent transport path (44).
According to the invention, the packages (52) are conveyed from the transport path (44) into a preferably upright drying tower (48), wherein the packages (52) in the drying tower (48) are conveyed transversely to the transport direction in the transport path (44) along a drying path (60) which extends along the drying tower (48), and wherein folding tabs (57) of the blanks for forming narrow side walls of the packages (52) are brought into contact with one another in a transfer station (77) when the packages (52) are transferred from the transport path (44) into the drying path (60), so that the resulting adhesive bond of the folding tabs (57) sets during the transport of the packages (52) along the drying path (60).

Description

The invention relates to a method for handling packs for products of the cigarette industry, wherein blanks of packaging material are folded around a pack content of the packs on a folding turret, and wherein the partially finished packs are discharged from the folding turret and conveyed along a transport path, and wherein folding flaps of the blanks are provided with adhesive and connected to one another in the area of the folding turret and/or the subsequent transport path, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding device according to the preamble of claim 11.

Methods and devices of this type are known in practice in numerous variants. A problem that often arises is ensuring that the freshly glued folding flaps or other parts of the pack are dried. For this purpose, for example, a drying turret can be used in which the packs or their adhesive joints are dried during circulation. In practice, the packs are usually inserted into a pocket of the folding turret shortly after the last folding flaps have been connected (usually the folding flaps in the area of the narrow side walls of the packs).

A disadvantage of this solution can be that the freshly bonded joints have not yet set when the packs are inserted into the drying turret and the packs are subjected to corresponding shear loads during insertion, which can lead to displacement of the pack parts or folding flaps and thus to correspondingly malformed packs.

Proceeding from this, the invention is based on the object of further developing methods and devices of the type mentioned at the outset, in particular with regard to a more gentle handling of the packages.

A method according to the invention has the features of claim 1. It is accordingly provided that the packages are conveyed from the transport section into a preferably upright drying tower, wherein the packages in the drying tower are conveyed transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the transport direction in the transport section along a drying section that extends along the drying tower, and wherein folding tabs of the blanks are brought into contact with one another in a transfer station when the packages are transferred from the transport section to the drying section in order to form narrow side walls of the packages, so that the resulting adhesive bond of the folding tabs sets during the transport of the packages along the drying section.

In this way, the problem mentioned at the beginning is solved at least for the folding flaps of the narrow side walls, which are usually connected last. The folding flaps are only connected immediately in the transfer station, whereby the transport direction ensures that no disruptive shear loads can occur.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the packages are moved past fixed folding elements when they are transferred from the transport section to the drying section, so that the folding tabs are brought together to form the narrow side walls.

An advantage of the fixed folding elements may be that no complex drive is required for active movement of the folding elements.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the transfer station is arranged below the drying tower extending in the vertical direction and that the packages are transferred from the transport section to the drying section by a lifting device.

As a further special feature, it can be provided that a device for lifting a pivotable lid of the packages is arranged in the transport path, with which the lids of the packages are opened (slightly).

This device can be used to prevent unwanted overlap between the lid and the front of the pack.

Furthermore, it can be provided that an alignment station for the pivotable lids of the packages is arranged in the area of the drying tower or along the drying section, in which pressure is exerted on the lids and the bottom walls of the packages opposite the lids in the drying tower in such a way that the lids are closed again and the packages are aligned.

In this way, the lid opening formed in the transport section can be closed again later in the drying tower.

Another special feature can be that faulty packages are detected in the transport area and the transfer of the faulty packages in the drying section is suppressed, so that the faulty packages are not passed on to the drying tower, but instead are conveyed further along the transport line and subsequently disposed of.

This prevents faulty packages from entering the drying tower and taking up space.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the packages in the drying tower are transported by belt conveyors that are independent of the drive of the packages in the transport section, in particular by continuous slalom belts.

In this way, the belts can transport the packages independently of the transport route.

A further special feature may be that the tension of the belt conveyors resting on opposite side surfaces of the packages is adjustable, in particular by adjusting deflection rollers in the region of a preferably lower deflection of the belt conveyors.

In this way, the belt tension can be (finely) adjusted.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the speed of the belt conveyors is adapted to the feeding of the packages to the drying tower, with the proviso that the packages are transported in a sealed position along the drying section.

It is conceivable, for example, that the speed of the belt conveyors is reduced when faulty packages are ejected from the transport route and/or that the speed of the belt conveyors is increased when the packages pile up in the transport route.

A device according to the invention has the features of claim 11. It is therefore provided that a preferably upright drying tower is arranged in the region of the transport path, wherein the packages in the drying tower can be conveyed transversely to the transport direction in the transport path along a drying path that extends along the drying tower, and wherein the device is designed to bring folding tabs of the blanks into contact with one another in a transfer station when the packages are transferred from the transport path to the drying path, so that the resulting adhesive bond of the folding tabs sets during the transport of the packages along the drying path.

Furthermore, it can be provided that when the packages are transferred from the transport section to the drying section, they are moved past fixed folding elements in such a way that the folding flaps can be brought together to form abutment.

A special feature may be that the transfer station is arranged below the drying tower extending in a vertical direction and that the packages can be transferred from the transport section to the drying section by means of a lifting device.

It can also be provided that a device for lifting a pivotable lid of the packages is arranged in the transport path, which is designed to (slightly) open the lids of the packages.

Preferably, a drive of the device for lifting the lid is coupled to a drive of the lifting device. In this way, an additional drive can be omitted.

A special feature may be that an alignment station for the pivoting lids of the packages is arranged in the area of the drying tower or along the drying section, which is designed to exert pressure on the lids and the bottom wall of the packages opposite the lids in such a way that the lids are closed again and the packages are aligned.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the packages in the drying tower can be transported by belt conveyors that are independent of the drive of the packages in the transport section, in particular by continuous slalom belts.

In particular, it can be provided that the tension of the belt conveyors resting on opposite side surfaces of the packages is adjustable, in particular by adjusting deflection rollers in the region of a preferably lower deflection of the belt conveyors.

A special feature can be that a drive for the alignment station and a drive for the belt conveyor are coupled. In this way, an additional drive can be omitted.

Furthermore, it can be provided that, following the alignment station, guide rails are arranged on opposite sides of the drying tower, which are designed to maintain the alignment of the packages achieved in the alignment station.

Preferably, the guide rails serve not only to guide the packings, but also as a breakage control, i.e. to check that the packing is properly formed.

• 1 einen ersten Teil einer schematischen räumlichen Darstellung eines Teils einer Verpackungsmaschine für Produkte der Zigarettenindustrie,
• 2 einen zweiten Teil der Verpackungsmaschine,
• 3 einen Vertikalschnitt durch den zweiten Teil der Verpackungsmaschine entsprechend Schnittlinie III - III in 2,
• 4 einen Vertikalschnitt durch den zweiten Teil der Verpackungsmaschine entsprechend Schnittlinie IV - IV in 3,
• 5 eine Einzelheit des zweiten Teils der Verpackungsmaschine als Seitenansicht entsprechend Pfeil V in 2,
• 6 einen Vertikalschnitt durch den zweiten Teil der Verpackungsmaschine entsprechend Schnittlinie VI - VI in 4,
• 7 einen Vertikalschnitt durch den zweiten Teil der Verpackungsmaschine entsprechend Schnittlinie VII - VII in 6, und
• 8 eine schematische Darstellung einer Transportstellung des zweiten Teils der Verpackungsmaschine.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawing, in which:

• 1 a first part of a schematic spatial representation of a part of a packaging machine for products of the cigarette industry,
• 2 a second part of the packaging machine,
• 3 a vertical section through the second part of the packaging machine according to section line III - III in 2 ,
• 4 a vertical section through the second part of the packaging machine according to section line IV - IV in 3 ,
• 5 a detail of the second part of the packaging machine as a side view according to arrow V in 2 ,
• 6 a vertical section through the second part of the packaging machine according to section line VI - VI in 4 ,
• 7 a vertical section through the second part of the packaging machine according to section line VII - VII in 6 , and
• 8 a schematic representation of a transport position of the second part of the packaging machine.

1 and 2 show a packaging machine 10 for products of the cigarette industry in a schematic overview. In the context of the application, products of the cigarette industry are understood to mean tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigarillos and the like, but also new types of tobacco products, such as heat-not-burn products or liquid carriers for e-cigarettes. It is understood that the packaging machine 10 does not have to be limited to this purpose and can also be used to package other products.

A first section of the packaging machine 10 is in 1 shown. Accordingly, packaging material is drawn off from two reels 12 as a continuous material web 11 for an inner wrapping of the products, guided through a splice unit 13 and then guided over several deflection rollers 14 through an embossing device 15, in which the material web is provided with embossing or the like. A web guide controller 16 is arranged upstream of the embossing device 15 and is used to align or center the material web.

The products - here, for example, cigarettes - are fed via a magazine 17 and ejected from there into pockets of a revolver 19 by means of a plunger 18.

In order to prevent the products from becoming sideways or jammed in the shafts of the magazine 17, a magazine wall 20 is set into vibration by a vibrating unit 21. The vibrations are transferred via the magazine wall 20 to the magazine 17 and thus to the products, for example to a filter side of the cigarettes. The products are pushed out of the pockets of the revolver 19 as a group with the help of drivers 22 of a conveyor 23 and conveyed along a transport path 24. Above the transport path 24 there is a cutting unit 25 in which individual blanks for the inner wrapping are separated from the material web 11 coming from the embossing device 15. The blanks are then wrapped around the product group in a known manner to form the inner wrapping. The product group with the inner wrapping forms the contents of the pack.

Another component of the packaging is the so-called collar. The packaging material required for this is again drawn off as a web of material from a (single) reel 27 and fed via deflection rollers 28 to a so-called collar device 29. A pendulum is used to regulate the web tension. In the collar device 29, which will be described in more detail later, individual blanks are cut out of the web of material and fed to a platform 30, from which the blanks are transferred together with the products in the inner wrapping into a pocket 31 of a folding turret 32.

The structure of the folding turret 32 is known from the prior art. Partially erected blanks for an outer pack are inserted into pockets 31 evenly distributed around the circumference of the folding turret 32 and then filled with pack contents and collar via the platform 30. The blank is then folded around the pack contents and partially finished and discharged from the folding turret 32. Further processing is in 2 shown.

A cutting magazine 33 is provided for feeding the blanks, with a cutting feed 34 and a light barrier 35, via which the fill level of the cutting magazine 33 can be monitored. The blanks are removed individually from the magazine 33 via a cutting extractor 36 and transported along a transport path above the folding turret 32. The blanks are fed to a bending station 38, where side flaps of the blanks are preformed during a short standstill phase in order to reduce material-related restoring forces. The blanks are then fed to a coding roller 39 by means of a blank slider 37. Codes can be applied to the blanks by means of the coding roller 39. Then, beads are embossed into the blanks by means of embossing rollers 40, which can serve as a stop for other blanks, for example, and adhesive is applied to the blanks in a cold glue station 41 before the blanks are stamped into the pockets 31 of the folding turret 32 by means of a folding element 42.

Before the partially completed packs are discharged from the folding turret 32, the packs are checked for misalignments in a so-called breakage control 43. The breakage control 43 functions like a height control device, which stops the machine and/or generates an error message in the event of collisions with parts of the pack.

The partially completed packages are transported along a transport path 44 with folding flaps projecting to the side to form the narrow side walls of the package. The presence of the side flaps is checked using light barriers 45 arranged in the transport path.

The pack then passes through the working area of a so-called cap slider 46, with which the lid of the pack is slightly lifted or opened in a known manner. The folding flaps protruding to the side are then provided with adhesive in a cold glue station 47.

The packages are then conveyed upwards in a drying tower 48 in a sealed position and transported away to the side at the upper end of the drying tower 48. In the drying tower 48, the lid is also aligned in a so-called cap alignment station 49. A light barrier 50 is used to check whether there are any packages under the drying tower 48 that can be lifted. This prevents gaps from forming in the package flow in the drying tower 48.

At the end of the transport path 44, defective packages are ejected in an ejection station 51.

• In der Transportstrecke 44 werden die Packungen 52 in Längsrichtung transportiert, nämlich flach auf einem Fördertrum eines Mitnehmergurtes 53 liegend. Die Packungen 52 werden mit dem Deckel 54 voraus gefördert, sodass Mitnehmer 55 des Mitnehmergurtes 53 rückseitig an den Packungen 52 anliegen.

Below are the details of the 2 shown organs of the packaging machine are described in detail:

• In the transport path 44, the packages 52 are transported in the longitudinal direction, namely lying flat on a conveyor belt 53. The packages 52 are conveyed with the lid 54 in front, so that carriers 55 of the carrier belt 53 rest against the back of the packages 52.

With the help of the cap slider 46, the lid 54 of the packs 52 is slightly lifted or opened. In the cold glue station 47 arranged thereafter, glue nozzles 56 are used to apply adhesive (cold glue) to the laterally protruding folding tabs 57 to form the narrow side walls of the packs 52.

As usual, the narrow side walls of the packs 52 are each formed by two folding tabs that are brought together in the plane of the narrow side widths. In the present case, the inner folding tabs were folded as usual on the folding turret 32 in the plane of the narrow side walls, whereas the outer folding tabs 57 are only folded in the plane of the narrow side walls after the adhesive has been applied in the cold glue station 47 and are brought there to rest on the inner folding tabs. This takes place in the area of the drying tower 48.

The drying tower 48 is arranged above the transport section 44 and extends in a vertical direction. By means of a lifting device 58, the packages 52 are lifted from the carrier belt 53 and introduced into the drying tower 48. This takes place in a transfer station 77 at the intersection point of the transport section 48 and the drying section 60. The lifting device 58 grasps the packages 52 individually in the area of a rear side as well as on opposite front and bottom walls.

When the packages 52 are fed to the drying tower 48, the folding flaps 57 are also applied. This is done by attaching the packages 52 to two stationary folding elements 59 ( 4 ) are moved past. The folding tabs 57 are folded into the plane of the narrow side walls and brought into contact with the inner folding tabs already located there and connected to them. The adhesive then dries during the subsequent transport in the drying tower 48 in a drying section 60.

During the transport of the packages 52 in the drying tower 48 along the drying section 60, the packages 52 are transported in the area of the narrow side surfaces by belt conveyors 61. The belts of the belt conveyors 61 are each guided over a series of deflection rollers 62 as slalom belts. Lower deflection rollers 62 can be adjusted via eccentric shafts in order to be able to adapt the contact pressure of the belt conveyors 61.

In a cap alignment station 49, the packs 52 are subjected to pressure by two cap aligners 63 on opposite side surfaces, namely the front wall and the bottom wall. In this way, on the one hand, the lids 54 of the packs 52 are closed, and on the other hand, the packs 52 are aligned with one another. Accordingly, the contact surfaces of the cap aligners 63 each extend over several packs 52 in the drying tower 48. The alignment achieved in this way is maintained by placing the packs 52 on two guide rails 64.

At the upper end of the drying tower 48, the packages 52 are transported away to the side after the adhesive bonds have set. A pusher unit 65 is used for this purpose. The pusher unit 65 has a pusher 66 which, by means of a drive 67, either pushes the packages 52 to the left onto a pusher track 68 or pushes faulty packages 52 to the right via a ramp 69 into a waste container (not shown).

For possible transport, the drying tower 48 is mounted so that it can be pivoted laterally. A pivot axis 70 is used for this purpose, which enables the drying tower 48 to be pivoted into a transport position. In 8 the transport position is indicated by dashed lines. In the transport position, the drying tower 48 rests on a support column 71 and can be screwed to it. To do this, the screw connections are loosened both in the area of the push-off station and on both cross braces between the support column and the drying tower 48 and the drying tower 48 is tilted by approx. 40°. The parts to be removed for this process are shown in dash-dotted lines.

It should also be mentioned that the lifter 58 is mechanically coupled to the slider 46 (not shown).

If a faulty package 52 is detected during transport in the transport path 44, it is possible to block the lifter 58. This is achieved by a pneumatic cylinder in the gear (not explicitly shown here), which suppresses the movement of the lifter 58 by extending a piston rod, so that the defective package is conveyed by the carrier belt 53 further along the transport path 44 under the drying tower 48 into a waste container. Three consecutive blockings by the pneumatic cylinder, the position of which is monitored by a sensor, result in a machine stop.

In the event of a discharge, a light barrier at the entrance to the drying tower 48 detects that no package 52 has been fed in and the speed of the belt conveyors 61 is reduced accordingly so that the next package 52 lifted in can still come into direct contact with the previous package 52 in the drying tower 48. Conversely, the speed of the belt conveyors 61 can be increased in the event of a possible package jam.

During the lifting movement of the lifting device 58, the packs 52 are first guided against a stop 72 in the drying tower and then reach the vertical height of the cap alignment station, which, as described, serves as a two-sided aligner for the packs 52 and ensures that the lid 54 of the packs 52 that has been opened in the cardboard web is closed again. The guide rails 64 arranged on both sides then ensure that the packs 52 are moved so that they can be conveyed further in a congruent manner and in contact with one another. In the event of a fault, the rails can be removed by hand and the fault can thus be eliminated.

4 shows another sectional view of the drying tower 48. Here, two drive belts 73, 74 can be seen, which are mechanically coupled to one another via a common axis 75 and driven by the same drive 76 (servo motor). While a first belt 73 ensures the movement of the cap aligners 63, a second belt 74 is responsible for driving the two vertical slalom belts 61.

6 and 7 show the lifting movement of the lifting device 58 again in detail in the sectional view. The moment is shown in which a package 52 is guided to the stop 72 and the folding tabs 57 are pressed against the package 52 by the folding members 59. The lid 54 is still slightly open here and is subsequently closed by the cap aligners 63 so that the packages 52 can be conveyed next to one another and in contact by the belt conveyors 61 to the guide rails 64.

List of reference symbols:

10

packaging machine

11

material web (inner wrapping)

12

bobbin

13

splice unit

14

pulley

15

embossing machine

16

web guide controller

17

magazine

18

pestle

19

revolver

20

magazine wall

21

vibrating unit

22

driver

23

sponsors

24

transport track

25

cutting unit

27

bobbin

28

pulley

29

collar apparatus

30

stage

31

Bag

32

folding revolver

33

cutting magazine

34

blank feeder

35

Light barrier

36

cutting extractor

37

cutting slide

38

bending station

39

coding roller

40

embossing roller

41

cold glue station

42

folding organ

43

fracture control

44

transport route

45

Light barrier

46

cap slider

47

cold glue station

48

drying tower

49

cap alignment station

50

Light barrier

51

ejection station

52

pack

53

carrier belt

54

Lid

55

driver

56

glue nozzle

57

folding flap

58

lift

59

folding organ

60

dry section

61

Belt conveyor

62

pulley

63

cap aligner

64

guide rail

65

deportation unit

66

deportees

67

drive

68

deportation track

69

ramp

70

Swivel axis

71

support column

72

stop

73

drive belt

74

drive belt

75

axis

76

drive

77

transfer station

Claims (22)

Method for handling packs (52) for products of the cigarette industry, wherein blanks of packaging material are folded on a folding turret (32) around a pack content of the packs (52), and wherein the partially finished packs (52) are discharged from the folding turret (32) and conveyed along a transport path (44), and wherein folding tabs of the blanks are provided with adhesive in the area of the folding turret (32) and/or the subsequent transport path (44) and connected to one another, characterized in that the packs (52) are conveyed from the transport path (44) into a preferably upright drying tower (48), wherein the packs (52) in the drying tower (48) are conveyed transversely to the transport direction in the transport path (44) along a drying path (60) which extends along the drying tower (48), and wherein folding tabs (57) of the blanks are folded to form narrow side walls of the packs (52) are brought into contact with one another in a transfer station (77) during the transfer of the packages (52) from the transport section (44) to the drying section (60), so that the resulting adhesive bond of the folding tabs (57) sets during the transport of the packages (52) along the drying section (60). procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the packages (52) are moved past fixed folding members (59) during the transfer of the packages (52) from the transport section (44) to the drying section (60), so that the folding tabs (57) are brought into contact with one another to form the narrow side walls. procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the transfer station (77) is arranged below the drying tower (48) extending in the vertical direction, and that the packages (52) are transferred from the transport section (44) to the drying section (60) by a lifting device. procedure according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that a device (46) for lifting a pivotable lid (54) of the packages (52) is arranged in the transport path (44), with which the lids (52) of the packages (52) are (slightly) opened. procedure according to claim 4 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of the drying tower (48) or along the drying section (60) an alignment station for the pivotable lids (54) of the packages (52) is arranged, in which pressure is exerted on the lids (54) and the bottom walls of the packages (52) opposite the lids (54) in the drying tower (48) such that the lids (54) are closed again and the packages (52) are aligned. procedure according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that faulty packages (52) are detected in the region of the transport path (44) and the transfer of the faulty packages (52) to the drying path (60) is suppressed, so that the faulty packages (52) are not transferred to the drying tower (48), but instead are conveyed further along the transport path (44) and subsequently disposed of. procedure according to Claim 1 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the packages (52) in the drying tower (48) are transported by belt conveyors (61) which are independent of the drive of the packages (52) in the transport path (44), in particular by continuous slalom belts. procedure according to claim 7 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the tension of the belt conveyors (61) resting on opposite side surfaces of the packages (52) is adjustable, in particular by adjusting deflection rollers (62) in the region of a preferably lower deflection of the belt conveyors (61). procedure according to claim 7 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the belt conveyors (61) is adapted to the feeding of the packages (52) to the drying tower (48) with the proviso that the packages (52) are transported along the drying section (60) in a sealed position. procedure according to claim 7 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the belt conveyors (61) is reduced when faulty packages (52) are ejected from the transport path (44), and/or that the speed of the belt conveyors (61) is increased when the packages (52) pile up in the transport path (44). Device for handling packs (52) for products of the cigarette industry, with a folding turret (32) for folding blanks of packaging material around a pack content of the packs (52), and with a transport path (44) following the folding turret (32) for transporting partially finished packs (52) following the folding turret (32), and with means for applying adhesive to folding tabs (57) of the blanks in the area of the folding turret (32) and/or the subsequent transport path (44), characterized in that a preferably upright drying tower (48) is arranged in the area of the transport path (44), wherein the packs (52) in the drying tower (48) can be conveyed transversely to the transport direction in the transport path (44) along a drying path (60) which extends along the drying tower (48), and wherein the device is designed to fold folding tabs (57) of the blanks to form of narrow side walls of the packages (52) in a transfer station (77) during the transfer of the packages (52) from the transport section (44) to the drying section (60) so that the resulting adhesive bond of the folding tabs (57) sets during the transport of the packages (52) along the drying section (60). device according to claim 11 , characterized in that the packages (52) are moved past fixed folding members during the transfer of the packages (52) from the transport section (44) to the drying section (60) in such a way that the folding tabs (57) can be brought into contact with one another. device according to claim 11 or 12 , characterized in that the transfer station (77) is arranged below the drying tower (48) extending in the vertical direction, and that the packages (52) can be transferred from the transport section (44) into the drying section (60) by a lifting device. device according to claim 11 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that a device (46) for lifting a pivotable lid (54) of the packages (52) is arranged in the transport path (44), which device is adapted to (slightly) open the lids (54) of the packages (52). device according to claim 13 and 14 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that a drive of the device (46) for lifting the lid (54) is coupled to a drive of the lifting device (59). device according to claim 14 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that in the region of the drying tower (48) or along the drying section (60) there is arranged an alignment station for the pivotable lids (54) of the packages (52), which is designed to exert pressure on the lids (54) and the bottom wall of the packages (52) opposite the lids in such a way that the lids (54) are closed again and the packages (52) are aligned. device according to claim 11 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the packages (52) in the drying tower (48) can be transported by belt conveyors (61) which are independent of the drive of the packages (52) in the transport section (44), in particular by continuous slalom belts. device according to claim 17 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the tension of the belt conveyors (61) resting on opposite side surfaces of the packages (52) is adjustable, in particular by adjusting deflection rollers (62) in the region of a preferably lower deflection of the belt conveyors (61). device according to claim 16 and 17 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that a drive of the alignment station and a drive of the belt conveyor (61) are coupled. device according to claim 16 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that following the alignment station, guide rails (64) are arranged on opposite sides of the drying tower (48), which are adapted to maintain the alignment of the packages (52) achieved in the alignment station. device according to claim 11 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that sensors (50) for folding tabs (57) of the packages (52) are arranged in the transport path, which sensors are designed to check the presence and/or orientation of certain folding tabs (57). device according to claim 11 or one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that the drying tower (48) can be tilted sideways by means of a pivoting mechanism, in particular by an angle of 30° to 50°, preferably by about 40°.

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