GB1406555A - Devices for setting cigarettes in a same direction - Google Patents

Abstract

1406555 Orderly arrangement of cigarettes USINES DECOUFLE 30 Nov 1973 [27 Dec 1972] 55585/73 Heading A2C In a device for longitudinally turning over end to end cigarettes forming a continuous row about one of their ends, of the type comprising a rotary drum mounted with its axis of rotation horizontal and provided with spaced radial cavities of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the cigarettes to be received therein, means for laying the cigarettes into the cavities in mutual alignment, one behind the other and parallel to one another, a fixed guide ramp adapted to lift one end of the cigarettes moving past the ramp in the drum cavities and pivot each cigarette about its opposite end held at a fixed location in the respective cavity until the cigarette falls back into the same cavity after having been turned head over heel, and means for removing the thus turned cigarettes from the drum cavities and discharging them from the device, the improvement is characterised in that the fixed guide ramp is disposed at the lower position of the drum and reverses longitudinally the disposition of the cigarettes by centripetal movement of the cigarette end lifted by the ramp in opposition to centrifugal force generated by rotation of the drum. As shown cigarettes R 1 to be turned over are conveyed from the initial point B 1 to point C. Thus each cigarette R 1 engaging with slightly more than one-half of its length the gap formed between a pair of adjacent segments 13 is allowed to slide on fixed circular ramps 16, 17 and retained externally by fixed curved guide members 18, 19. Beyond the part C, the filter tip end of the cigarette R 1 to be reversed bears on the side face of guide member 20 providing the fulcrum of this pivotal movement while a ramp 22 lifts the cigarette by reacting against a point adjacent the opposite end of the cigarette. Finally, a curved ramp 21 of adequate contour supports the cigarette in the vicinity of the filter-tip end thereof. The shape of ramp 22 is such that during the rotation of conveyor 11 from C to D the cigarette assumes a vertical position at D (Fig 5). During this straightening movement of the cigarette the latter is constantly retained along more than half its length between the sides of two adjacent segments 13 and uring this same phase the cigarette is urged by both gravity and centrifugal force against guide members 20, 21 and 22 (Fig 6). The cigarette is eventually laid on the curved ramp 23 at R 2 and thence the curved bottom plate 24. At E (Fig 7) rotation is complete and beyond ramps 25, 26 constrain the cigarette between segments 13 and prevent its inward escape (Fig 8).