Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
  • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
  • A24C5/35—Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine
  • A24C5/352—Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine using containers, i.e. boats
  • A24C5/356—Emptying the boats into the hopper of the packaging machine
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
  • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
  • A24C5/35—Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine
  • A24C5/352—Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine using containers, i.e. boats
  • A24C5/358—Boat constructions

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a tray emptying method, the tray being filled up with rod-like elements transported to farther operating work-stands of a cigarette production line.
• Known production lines designed for production of cigarettes and packaging thereof or cigarette filters include a machine or group of machines designed for production of cigarettes or filters , a machine or group of machines to join the cigarette filters and cigarettes together and cigarette packaging machine.
• various store systems are applied to maintain continuity of the cigarette production.
• One example of such systems is a tray system, wherein cigarettes and/or cigarette filters are stored, the trays being filled up with cigarettes or filters at exit of a cigarette or filter-producing machine.
• the filled up trays are unloaded into a hopper of cigarette packaging machine or cigarette filter attaching machine.
• An intermediate store is applied to unload trays where from rod-like elements are transferred onto conveyor that transports them to the above mentioned hopper.
• a cigarette transport method and device wherein cigarettes are transferred by means of trays from production machine to intermediate store, wherein they are unloaded, and then transported on receiving conveyor to a hopper of a packaging machine.
• the intermediate store is divided with partition elements into many vertical paths of cigarette flow, neighboring each other, and to each path has an appropriate supporting element.
• the supporting element together with cigarettes moves from the store top downward.
• the partition elements are shaped like teardrops and have a comb-like design. Cutouts of supporting elements that are formed like flat combs enter into and between protruding ribs of the comb like design. Cutouts of supporting element are shaped like a flat comb.
• movable vertical sidewall of the intermediate store runs together with conveyor that removes cigarettes toward hopper of the packaging machine.
• Length of partition elements is smaller than the intermediate store height, and the shortest element is located nearest to the above movable vertical sidewall. Length of subsequent elements gradually increases and the longest element end is significantly away from the receiving conveyor.
• cigarettes transported to hopper are shaped as a layer, which in principle corresponds to movable sidewall height of the intermediate store, while the layer height is kept up by the moving sidewall until the layer finally arrives at the hopper.
• Other tray unloading method the trays being filled with rod-like elements, especially with cigars, and device designed for application of that method, are presented in European patent specification EP 1,308,101.
• the tray filled up with cigars is placed on movable supporting surface by means of special gripping device the tray top opening being directed downwards to the surface and temporarily protected with a protective shield, the above supporting surface being provided with movable throat which has width smaller than the width of the tray top opening but bigger than single cigar diameter.
• the movable supporting surface forms a bottom of enclosure. It has width a little greater than the total width of two trays that form entry stand and exit stand.
• a receiving conveyor is located below the supporting surface. A Tray that arrived at the entry stand, after removal of the protective shield, is unloaded through the throat and cigars fall out onto the conveyor and are transported to the hopper of the packaging machine.
• This invention relates to tray emptying method for tobacco industry where rod- like elements are transferred by gravitation simultaneously from a tray to many segments of an intermediate store, the segments being separated from each other with vertical partition walls of the intermediate store, and the store being an equivalent to one volumetric tray capacity, and then the rod-like elements are transferred onto movable receiving conveyor located below.
• the vertical segments of the intermediate store filled up with rod-like elements and independent of each other are emptied through a throat formed in the intermediate store base, while the intermediate store, the base and the throat reciprocate, independently of each other, along the receiving conveyor so that consecutive segments of the intermediate store could meet the throat, and the sequence of segment emptying is in backward relationship to the receiving direction of rod-like elements at the receiving conveyor.
• Rod-like elements are placed onto the receiving conveyor through a profiled chute firmly connected to the throat, wherein the throat with its area that corresponds in size to the horizontal cross section of a segment of the intermediate store each time receives elements from only one consecutive segment.
• a sensor monitors complete segment emptying. Widths of emptied segments correspond to the layer height of mass flow of rod-like elements placed on the receiving conveyor.
• the throat together with chute moves concurrently to the receiving direction of rod-like elements placed on the conveyor and at conveyor velocity, the layer height of rod-like elements remaining unchanged at the site close under the throat level until the throat arrives at the site before the first segment of intermediate store, the latter being meantime loaded with rod-like elements from a consecutive tray.
• the intermediate store executes its short-term plane motion concurrently with the throat movement and the receiving direction of rod-like elements at velocity higher than that of receiving conveyor so that throat could meet the first segment of intermediate store and ensure the emptying possibility, wherein the intermediate store partly moves out beyond the tray unloading sector.
• Unloading of a consecutive tray in sequence takes place during the emptying operation of the last segment at a rate not higher than emptying rate of that segment and also at any rate during the motion of the throat together with the chute concurrently with the receiving direction of rod-like elements, wherein the throat velocity equals velocity of the receiving conveyor.
• the receiving conveyor is continuously in motion at established direction.
• the throat together with chute moves concurrently to the receiving direction of rod-like elements placed on the receiving conveyor, and at the conveyor velocity, while the rod-like element layer height is unchanged close under the throat level until the throat arrives at the site before the first segment of the intermediate store that meantime was loaded with rod-like elements from a consecutive tray, and at the time, a short-term stop of the throat together with the chute follows, whereas the intermediate store is in plane motion concurrently to the receiving direction of rod-like elements so that throat could meet the first segment of the intermediate store and ensure its emptying possibility, wherein the intermediate store partly moves out beyond the tray unloading sector.
• any next consecutive segment emptying follows after receiving enable signal, wherein the throat is each time positioned before a next segment to be emptied, but the mutual position of throat and the segment shall be determined considering direction opposite to the receiving direction of rod-like elements.
• Unloading of a consecutive tray in sequence takes place during emptying of the last segment at a rate not higher than emptying rate of that segment and at any rate during movement of the throat thogether with chute concurrently to the receiving direction of rod-like elements, wherein throat velocity equals to that of the receiving conveyor.
• the receiving conveyor continuously moves forward at the established direction.
• the throat together with chute moves in concurrent relationship to the receiving direction of rod-like elements on the receiving conveyor, at conveyor velocity, while the layer height of rod-like elements close under throat level is not changed until the throat arrives at site before the first segment of the intermediate store that meantime was loaded with rod-like elements from a consecutive tray. Then a short- term stop of the throat together with the chute follows and the receiving conveyor stops as well.
• the intermediate store is in plane motion at concurrent relationship to the receiving direction of rod-like elements so that the throat could meet the first segment of the intermediate store and ensure the emptying possibility, wherein the intermediate store partly moves out beyond the tray unloading sector.
• the receiving conveyor starts up, and return of the intermediate store and the throat together with the chute follows in backward relationship to the receiving direction of rod- like elements, at equal velocity, to the tray unloading sector, where the complete emptying of the first segment takes place.
• emptying of each consecutive segment will follow after receipt of enable signal, wherein each time the throat is positioned before a next segment to be emptied, while so as to determine mutual position of the throat and the segment it is necessary to consider opposite direction to the receiving direction of rod- like elements.
• Unloading of a next tray in sequence takes place during the last segment emptying at a rate not higher than that of the last segment emptying and at any rate during movement of the throat together with the chute and at concurrent relationship to the receiving direction of rod-like elements, wherein the throat velocity equals the receiving conveyor velocity.
• the receiving conveyor that moves at the established direction is periodically stopped.
• the preferred embodiment according to this invention allows to form on the receiving conveyor a mass flow out of the rod-like elements collected in a tray, wherein rod-like elements move from a wide duct i.e.
• Fig. 1 to fig. 21 present individual steps of segment emptying method and tray unloading according to preferred Embodiment I of this invention during continuous motion of the receiving conveyor and fig. 22 shows up a diagram that illustrates displacements of intermediate store and throat as well as velocity of receiving conveyor motion and also the consecutive segment emptying rate depending on the movements of individual units in the preferred Embodiment I.
• Fig. 23 to fig. 43 present individual steps of segment emptying method and tray unloading according to preferred Embodiment II of this invention, also during continuous motion of the receiving conveyor, and fig.44 shows up a diagram that illustrates displacements of intermediate store and throat as well as velocity of receiving conveyor motion and consecutive segment emptying rate depending on the movements of individual units according to Embodiment H Fig. 45 to fig.
• fig. 66 shows up a diagram that illustrates displacements of intermediate store and throat as well as velocity of the receiving conveyor motion, and also emptying rate of consecutive segments depending on the motion of individual units according to Embodiment III of this invention.
• motion of all the segments at individual steps has letter markings.
• hitherto motionless intermediate store 11 starts up its plane motion concurrent with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 12 and with motion of the throat 16 at velocity V c higher than velocity Vj 1 of the throat 16, which is illustrated in fig. 2, wherein the rod-like elements 12 move along their receiving direction at velocity V r together with the receiving conveyor 18.
• Such a state will be present till the instant when the first segment 1O 1 catches up with the throat 16, which will take place beyond the unloading sector 14 at distance S c of the sidewall 19 away from the unloading sector 14, distance S c being greater than width W s of the segments 10, while path S c covered by the intermediate store 11 is greater than width W s of the segments 10, wherein the rod-like elements 12 fall down by gravity into the chute 17.
• the throat 16 After emptying of the first segment 1O 1 , the throat 16 starts up its motion concurrent with the receiving direction of rod-like elements 12 at velocity V h equal to velocity V 1 together with the receiving conveyor 18, and as well, the store 11 begins its plane motion at concurrent relationship with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 12 and compatible with the motion of the throat 16 at velocity V c greater than velocity V h of the throat 16 (fig. 7) until the second segment 1O 2 catches up with the throat 16 (fig.
• FIG. 12 presents the end moment of emptying that refers to the last but one segment 1O n-1 , when the throat 16 and the intermediate store 11 are motionless, and next drawing (fig.13) illustrates the start of the throat 16 that moves concurrent with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 12 at velocity Vj 1 equal to velocity V t in order to empty the last segment 1 O n , wherein the intermediate store 11 begins its plane motion compatible with motion of the throat 16 at velocity V c higher than velocity V h of the throat 16. After the last segment 1O n catches up with the throat 16 (fig.
• the multi-segment plate 22 is slid ably fixed and moves within the segments 10 from top downward (fig. 15). Then, during emptying of the last segment 1O n (fig. 16), the supporting plate 21 is removed and the rod-like elements 12 fall down onto the multi-segment plate 22 and lowered down together with the plate 22 along the segments 10 (fig. 17). After the complete emptying of the last segment 1O n (fig. 18), which is monitored with the sensor 20, the base 15 together with the throat 16 move concurrently with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 12 at velocity V h equal to velocity V 1 of the conveyor 18 when the intermediate store 11 (fig. 19 and fig.
• hitherto motionless intermediate store 31 begins its plane motion at velocity V c concurrent to the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 32, at velocity V 4 of the receiving conveyor 38, which is seen in fig. 24, whereas the rod-like elements 32 travel in their receiving direction at velocity V r together with the receiving conveyor 38.
• the above state exists till the first segment 3Oi catches up with motionless throat 36, which takes place beyond the sector 34 at distance S c of a sidewall 39 of the store 31 away from the sector 34, distance S c being equal to width W s of segments 30, while path S c covered by the intermediate store 31 greater than width W 8 of the segments 30, whereas the rod-like elements 32 fall down by gravity into the chute 37.
• a consecutive tray 33 filled up with the rod-like elements 32 is delivered to the sector 34, and the rod-like elements 32 are supported from below with a supporting plate 41 (fig. 36 and fig. 37).
• a multi-segment plate 42 enters top part of the intermediate store 31 below the supporting plate 41. Being movably fixed the multi-segment plate 42 moves from top downward along the segments 30 (fig. 38). Then (fig.
• the supporting plate 41 is removed and the rod-like elements 32 fall down onto the multi-segment plate 42, being lowered down together with the plate along the segments 30, wherein after complete emptying of the last segment 3O n , the base 35 together with the throat 36 moves concurrent with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 32 at velocity V h equal to velocity V t of the receiving conveyor 38, when the intermediate store 31 (fig. 41 and fig. 42) is motionless, until the throat 36 arrives at the site before the first segment 3O 1 beyond the sector 34 (fig. 43).
• the multi-segment plate 42 is removed so that the rod-like elements 32 could be placed on the base 35.
• equal segments 50 of an intermediate store 51 are completely filled up with rod-like elements 52 and an unloaded tray 53 together with the intermediate store 51 is situated in an unloading sector 54 of the tray 53, while a throat 56 formed in a base 55 of the intermediate store 51 is firmly connected to a chute 57 and moved out to the site before the first segment 5O 1 beyond the sector 54.
• the intermediate store 51, the throat 56 and a receiving conveyor 58 are motionless, and also flow of the rod-like elements 52 is stopped.
• the intermediate store 51 which hitherto is motionless, starts up its plane motion at velocity V 0 concurrent with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 52 toward the throat 56 as shown in fig.
• FIG. 56 shows up the last but one segment 5O n-1 when its emptying ends up, the intermediate store 51, the throat 56, the conveyor 58 remain motionless and flow of the rod-like elements 52 is stopped.
• FIG. 57 illustrates the emptying start of the last segment 5O n .
• the intermediate store 51 begins plane motion at velocity V c concurrent with the receiving direction of the rod-like elements 52 toward the throat 56, wherein the throat 56, the conveyor 58 and the rod-like elements 52 remain motionless. It lasts until the last segment 5O n catches up with the motionless throat 56, which takes place inside the sector 54 and path S c covered by the intermediate store 51 equals to width W s of the segments 50 (fig. 58), after that the intermediate store 51 is stopped.
• a multi-segment plate 62 enters top part of the intermediate store 51 below the supporting plate 61.

Landscapes

• Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
• Filling Or Emptying Of Bunkers, Hoppers, And Tanks (AREA)
• Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=38828503

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2006
  • 2006-08-18 PL PL380439A patent/PL211204B1/pl unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-08-17 WO PCT/PL2007/000058 patent/WO2008020775A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2007-08-17 ES ES07793962T patent/ES2380642T3/es active Active
  • 2007-08-17 EP EP07793962A patent/EP2079327B1/fr not_active Not-in-force
  • 2007-08-17 AT AT07793962T patent/ATE546055T1/de active

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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