FR2530125A1 - APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ARTICLES IN THE FORM OF A BATONNET, IN PARTICULAR CIGARETTES - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERING STICK-SHAPED ARTICLES. ARTICLES 2 ARE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN TWO ZONES LOCATED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, OR THEY ARE TRANSPORTED IN LAYERS AND IN A DIRECTION OF TRANSVERSAL ADVANCE TO THEIR AXES. THE APPLIANCE INCLUDES AT LEAST TWO TRANSMISSION CHANNELS 11, 17 SENSITIVELY VERTICAL, ARRANGED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND SPACED HORIZONTALLY FROM ONE OF THE OTHER, CONNECTED TWO BY TWO BY MEANS OF A CONNECTION CHANNEL 13, 19 SENSITIVELY HORIZONTAL. APPLICATION TO THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTES.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for

  transfer rod-shaped items, in particular

cook cigarettes.

  More particularly, the present invention may be advantageously applied in "mass" feed plants of the tobacco industry, intended to transfer cigarettes in the radius of the production lines or of the latter to the production line.

packaging line.

  According to the known art, in this type of installations

  the articles are normally transported by means of

  conveyors, on which the cigarettes form a layer of thickness substantially equal to a multiple

of their diameter.

  In descending sections cigarettes are often transported within fixed-walled canals, while in ascending sections the holding of cigarettes by the transfer apparatus is achieved by the use of pairs of ribbons.

  delimiting said layer on two opposite sides.

  If the treated cigarettes have a filter, it has been found that

  known type do not act correctly in accordance with

  of sections along which the cigarettes

  transferred between two different levels and in particular

  particularly in connection with sections falling downhill

  some disadvantages are caused by the difference

  ence existing between the diameter of the body of cigarettes

  and the diameter of the ends provided with a filter; The dia-

  meter of these ends is indeed wider because

  the presence of the filter-cigarette connection strips.

  The thickness of these strips, although very small, causes considerable inconvenience each

  Once the cigarettes are transported along

  substantially vertical courses of considerable length, since in these cases there is a large number of cigarettes stacked vertically one above the other and the height of the stack on the filter side is

  much higher than that which can be

  opposite ends of cigarettes

  in fairly high areas of this stack the disposition of the cigarettes differs remarkably from the

  horizontal arrangement, which frequently causes

  improper sitions of the same cigarettes, making

  therefore necessary the arrat of the trans-

  fert. The problem outlined above occurs quite often in the modern tobacco industry, given the

  that it has become rather common practice to divide

  If there are floors in a building, the appliances for different sections of the production cycle: for example

  normally all the machines are placed on a high floor

  of cigarettes, on the floor placed

  immediately below the threading machines

  very and on the lower floor the packaging lines.

  Obviously this requires transferring the cigarettes to be processed from one level to another very different from the first one, which makes the problem

upper.

  The object of the present invention is therefore

  than that of providing a transfer apparatus of the aforementioned type, which does not have the disadvantages

  described with reference to the known art.

  This goal and others are achieved by the -3-

  present invention which refers to an apparatus for transmitting

  rod-shaped articles, in particular cigarettes, between two zones situated at different levels, said cigarettes being transported in layers and in a direction of advance transverse to their axes, characterized in that it comprises at least

  two or substantially vertically

  spacers arranged at different levels and spaced from each other in a horizontal plane, these paths being interconnected, two by two, by a substantially horizontal track or connecting path which has the inlet disposed below. the exit of the upper level transport runway and the corresponding exit

  from the entrance to the transport runway located at

férieur.

  Other features and benefits of the.

  present invention will emerge more clearly from the

  following detailed description of a preferred form of

  implementation, illustrated as a non-limita-

  Referring to the accompanying drawing, the single figure shows a schematic front view of the apparatus in question. Referring to this figure we have globally

  indicated in 1 a device intended for the transfer of cigaret-

  2 implemented according to the basic principle of the present invention, which comprises two conveyors-3 and 4 horizontal band, one on the left and the other of

  right, as shown in the figure; these trans-

  carriers are formed endless conveyor belts 5 and 6 associated with pairs of rollers 7 and 8 (on the

  only one roll per pair has been shown), sup-

  carried and driven in rotation by trees respec-

-4-

9 and 10.

  These conveyors 3 and 4 are arranged at the top of the apparatus 1 and converge from both

  opposite sides towards the upper end or

  re of a channel or transport track It vertical, defined on its two opposite sides by two walls

  12 vertical and parallel to each other.

  Below the lower end of the channel 111 is disposed the right end of a belt conveyor or connecting track 13, substantially parallel to the conveyor 3, comprising an endless conveyor belt 14 associated with two rollers 15, supported and in

  rotated by respective trees 16 paral-

  trees 9; The other end of this conveyor 13 is in communication with the upper end or mouth of a vertical transport channel or track 17 defined laterally by two walls 18 parallel to the

  walls I 12 è This channel 17 is located, with its end

  above one of the ends of a belt conveyor or connecting track 19, similar to the

  conveyor 13 and disposed below it,

  carrying an endless conveyor belt 20 associated with two end rollers 21, supported and driven in

  rotation by respective shafts 22 parallel to the

  16, the second end of this transporter 19 is

  in communication with the upper end or mouth

  re of a channel or vertical connecting track 23, a-

  line to said channel 1 and defined on both sides

  opposed by two walls 24 parallel to the walls 12.

  In use, said conveyors 3 and 4 continuously feed cigarettes 2 from non-illustrated work or storage stations into the cannell, transporting them in the form of a diaper.

  thickness substantially equal to a multiple of the diameter

  Being an individual cigarette Leaving this channel watt, cigarettes 2 form on the conveyor 13 a thin layer, where the inclination of the same

  cigarettes 2 previously described is virtually

  The cigarettes 2 are introduced into the channel 17 and at their exit from the latter are arranged on the

  carrier 19 in the same manner as described in

  to carrier 13; they are then introduced

  in channel 23 and forwarded to other posts

not illustrated.

  From the foregoing it is clear

  said carriers 13 and 19 have the task of avoiding

  that the transfer of cigarettes 2 between two

  levels using only one vertical channel of remarkable length, which would inevitably

  upper; Having a line along the line of

  transfer of a suitable number of trans-

  horizontal carriers of the type under examination allows in

  avoid excessive inclination of cigarettes

  anywhere on the same line of trans-

  fert, the achievement of this result depending on a careful choice of the length of said vertical channels II, 17

  and 23, which must be such as to ensure a linear inclination

  2 cigarettes in the serving

superior of the same channels.

  Obviously, many modifications

  can be made to the apparatus described above, without

  to get away from the framework and the spirit of the invention

  tion. 6 - The transport surfaces of said conveyor belt 13 and 19 may for example be inclined by

  horizontally, provided that the angle

  form them with the channelsill'17 and 23 be able to allow the described layout in low layer

  thickness of cigarettes 2 on said surfaces; otherwise

  if their inclination is sufficient to allow the advance of cigarettes by the effect of the sole force of

  severely, these transport surfaces can be fixed.

  It should be noted that the number of transpor-

  horizontally arranged along a vertical line

  of transfer can be arbitrary and that one can freely

  to choose the lengths of these carriers as well

  that the positions of their ends arranged beyond

susde one of said channels.

  The present invention may also be

  when channels 11) 7 and 23 are not exactly

vertically.

  Finally, we wish to emphasize that transpor-

  horizontal factors described above may also be

  provided in a vertical transfer line where cigarettes 2 are moved uphill. In this case, the only

  important difference compared to the device already de-

  writes that the walls 12, 18 and 24 of

  11, 17 and 23 are replaced by transporters

to tape.

R EV E N D I C A T IO N S

  Apparatus for transferring rod-shaped articles, especially cigarettes (2) between two zones at different levels, said cigarettes 53 (2) being transported in layers and in a direction of advance transverse to their axes, characterized in that this

  it includes at least two tracks or routes of trans-

  port (11 17) substantially vertical, -posed to

  different calves and spaced apart from each other in a horizontal plane, these courses being interconnected, two by two, by a track or connecting course) (13 or 19)

  horizontally, which has the entrance disposed

  under the exit of the transport runway located at

  upper calf and the exit corresponding to the entrance

  the transport track located on the lower level.

  2 Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a repeatable series of pairs of

  transport tracks 1 (11 17; 17, 23), substantially vertically

  shims and arranged at different levels and spaced horizontally from each other, these pairs of transport tracks) O 11; 17; 17, 23) being connected to each other by means of a connecting track (13; 19), substantially horizontal, the entry of which is arranged below the track), (11 or 17) of said pairs which -found at the higher level with respect to the same connecting track and

  whose output is arranged in correspondence of the

  tread of the track (17 or 24) of said pairs which is at the lower level with respect to the same connecting track

(13 or 19).

  Apparatus according to any of the claims

  1 and 2, characterized in that said transport tracks (111, 17, 23) are channels defined on at least two opposite sides by fixed walls (12; 18, 24).

  Apparatus according to any of the claims

  1 and 2 characterized in that said transport tracks (, 11; 17, 23) are channels defined on at

  at least two opposite sides by belt conveyors.

  Apparatus according to any one of the claims

  1 and 2, characterized in that the connecting track

  it is defined at least in its lower part

  re, by a belt conveyor, (13; 19).

  Apparatus according to any of the claims

  1 and 2, characterized in that the connecting track

  '(13; 19) is defined at least in its lower part

re by a fixed wall.