GB1028372A - Method and apparatus for testing rod-like articles such as cigarettes carried on a conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

1,028,372. Cigarette making machines. K. KÍRBER. Sept. 13, 1962 [Sept. 14, 1961; July 4, 1962; Aug. 24, 1962], Nos. 32994/62, 32995/62 and 32662/62. Heading A2C. [Also in Division G1] Selected cigarettes travelling in a row in a direction transversely to their axes are removed from a row for testing and after testing are returned to the row. In Fig. 1 a device similar to that described in Specificaton 1,024,785 is shown consisting of a suction member 1 comprising a bearing sleeve 2 rotatable on a shaft 3 mounted in arms 4 pivoted to the machine frame 6 by bearings 7. A plate 8 screwed to the frame 6 supports a driving motor 9 and a control magnet 10. A belt pulley 12 and a disc 13 having a projecting pin 16 are mounted on the shaft 11 of the motor 9. An armature 14 of the magnet 10 is adapted to reciprocate in the axial direction of the shaft 11 and an operating disc 15 is; fastened to the armature 14. A spring 22 biases the armature away from the pins 16. The member 1 has a suction element for each cigarette to be picked up. In the suction element 31 there is a supporting surface 32 for the cigarette to be tested and a rotatable shaft 35 having serrated discs 40, 41 for rotating a cigarette. A test lamp 48 is provided which co-operates with a photo-electric device 50 to test the imprint 48 on the cigarette. Cigarettes are moved in a row in the feed direction of the belt 5 and lifted from the belt by suction to the member 1, the cigarette to be tested being introduced into the element 31. The discs 40 and 41 rotate the cigarette. The photoelectric device 50 is connected in a bridge circuit which becomes unbalanced when the imprint 49 is detected and magnet 10 is then energized to displace armature 14 and force pin 16 towards the motor 9. The pin 16 is thus moved out of the region of a spring 24 which controls the switch 30 in the circuit of an indicating device. If no imprint 49 is detected the magnet remains unenergized, the pin 16 is not displaced and hence operates spring 24 and switch 30 to give an indication of a defective cigarette. The pin of 16 is returned to its normal position on further rotation of disc 13 by a cam 21 connected to the disc 15 by a member 20. In a second embodiment a cigarette Z1 (Fig. 8) to be tested is picked up by a suction cigarette holder on a drum 203, rotation of which may be initiated automatically or manually. The cigarette is deposited between rollers 232 and 236 which rotate whilst a light source 249 and photo-electric device 248 scan the imprint (Fig. 9). During testing a previously tested cigarette Z2 is released by a catch 243 to fill the gap made in the row of cigarettes by the removal of cigarette Z1. The photoelectric device 248 is connected in a circuit so as to give an indication of whether or not the cigarette bears an imprint.