GB1002582A - Apparatus for assembling groups of articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,002,582. Cigarette making machines. K. KÍRBER. March 16, 1962 [March 16, 1961], No. 10125/62. Heading A2C. In a cigarette making machine in which filter plugs are abutted with cigarette lengths and joined thereto by wrapping strips the absence of one of the components is detected and used to control the feed of one or both of the other two components. In the example shown, sextuple length filter plugs are fed from a magazine 1 to a take-off drum 4, are cut by cutters 5, re-aligned on wheels 6a, 6b, 6c so that three double length filter plugs are transferred to form a row in line ahead on a drum 8. From the drum 8 the filter plugs are transferred to a clutch-controlled grooved wheel 10, and thence to a conveyer 12 where they are joined by cigarettes on a cigarette magazine drum 14. Prior to the assembling of the cigarettes and filters, the presence of a cigarette is detected by a feeler device 22, which in the absence of a cigarette on the drum 14 causes an electromagnet 28 to de-clutch the wheel 10 and so stop the feed of filter plugs. The feeler may also cause a solenoid operated brake to be operated through a circuit 68 to stop the feed of the wrapper strip (Figs. 5 and 6, not shown). The clutch comprises a driving wheel 21 rotatable on a spindle 32 and mounted between walls 18 and 19. A flange 33 of the wheel 21 has two lugs 34 which engage an axially slidable clutch disc spaced by compression springs 36 from the flange 33. A hollow driving shaft 20 carries the grooved wheel 10, is rotatable on the spindle 32, and has a gear wheel 38 fastened to its tapered portion 37. The gear 38 has dogs 39 which engage between dogs of the clutch disc which is engaged by a thrust bearing 41. Transmission levers 42 are fastened to the end of the control shaft 30. When the electromagnet 28 is energized the control shaft is moved axially so that the levers 42 are pressed against the thrust bearing 41 which engages the clutch disc so that the dogs thereon are separated from the dogs 39 on the gear 38 and the feed of filter plugs is stopped. Braking is effected by a bell-crank lever 92, one arm of which carries a roller 93 which engages the flat part of the face of the clutch disc and the other arm of which carries a braking shoe 94 which engages a flange of the tapered portion 37 of the shaft 20.