GB1225113A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,225,113. Delivering cigarettes &c., in orderly arrangement. HAUNI-WERKE KORBER & CO. K.G. 7 June, 1698 [21 July, 1967], No. 33791/67. Heading A2C. [Also in Division B8] A method of collecting elongated articles such as cigarettes, filter rods or packages conveyed pneumatically in the direction of their longitudinal axes is characterized in that the cigarettes are moved into a predetermined position by the forces of at least two air streams the forces being exerted lengthwise of the cigarettes in the conveyance direction thereof and opposite thereto. Cigarettes 34 are fed from a continuous rod cut-off through a tube 33 into grooves 24 of a collecting drum 1. Alternate grooves 24 are provided with ducts 27, 28 and 29, 31 respectively. The grooves 24 are closed from the atmosphere along their length by a cover plate (26) over a segment of the rotation of the drum 1 extending about 90 degrees from the feed point. Suction from a chamber 18 is supplied to the ducts 27, 28, 29, 31 over the same segment. The applied suction first accelerates the cigarettes into the grooves 24 and then retards them, stopping them centrally of the ducts 27, 28 or 29, 31 to form two offset rows of cigarettes travelling transverse to their axes. In another embodiment, Fig. 5, each cigarette 134 is mechanically accelerated into a groove 124 of a drum 101 and is stopped and reversed in direction of travel by compressed air supplied through a duct 141 and finally centred by air directed through ducts 127, 128. An opening to atmosphere 142 in a cover plate 126 allows escape of the air from the duct 141 once the cigarette 134 has been returned past it. Further embodiments include a) a drum (201) with grooves (224) each having a retarding air duct (227) and a single suction duct (228), b) a drum (301) having two suction ducts (327, 328) in each groove (324) spaced apart by slightly less than a cigarette length, and c), as shown in Fig. 8, a drum 401 the cover plate 426 of which is provided with air openings 501a . . . 501d which increase in size as shown and overlie suction ducts 431, 429, 428, 427 respectively. The ends of the grooves 424a, 424b are partially closed by covers 503, 504 at either end of the drum 501 beyond the cigarette transfer point, while bores 507 connect the alternate grooves 424a to atmosphere. The collecting of cigarette packages in similar manner in correspondingly shaped passages between ducts in such passages is also mentioned.