GB1408926A - Conveying of cigarettes and other similar articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1408926 Transferring cigarettes between conveyers and containers MOLINS Ltd 17 April 1973 [21 April 1972] 18510/72 Heading B8A In an arrangement for filling trays (the upper walls 36, 38, only, shown) with cigarettes from a conveyer 2, there being a reservoir 21 leading off from a junction zone 10 with the conveyer 2 and provided to accommodate the flow of cigarettes while trays are being changed, the speeds of a conveyer 16 providing the reservoir, is faster when travelling in the direction (rightwards in Fig. 1) to absorb the cigarette flow, than when travelling in the opposite direction (i.e. towards the junction zone). In a modification (Fig. 3, not shown), the apparatus is used for dealing with the emptying of trays. In this case, the reservoir conveyer travels at a faster speed towards the junction zone, and at a slower speed away from it. The differential speeds are obtained by an arrangement of one way clutches (Fig. 2, not shown). The reservoir conveyer 16 is stopped when sensor arms 12, 14, reach an upper limit, and when they reach a lower limit. When a wall 18 rigid with the belt 16 and defining an end of the reservoir, obscures a photo-cell 22, the reservoir is nearly full. When it obscures a photo-cell 24, the whole machine is stopped. When the tray is full of cigarettes, it is automatically replaced by an empty tray, and the flow of cigarettes is stopped by means described in Specification 1,093,532. The reservoir may extend in a vertical direction. In a shoot leading between the junction zone and the tray, a single cigarette may be removed for inspection purposes, by rotation of a roller 36 having a cigarette-locating groove 36A. Specification 1,339,886 also is referred to.