GB1576327A - Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING ROD-LIKE ARTICLES (71) We, MOLINS LIMITED, a British Company of 2, Evelyn Street, Deptford, London, SE8 5DH., do hereby declare this invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement : - This invention relates to apparatus for conveying rod-like articles. The apparatus may form part of a machine for making composite filter rods, from which composite filters, for incorporation in filter cigarettes, can be obtained by cutting the rods at appropriate positions.

It is common for cigarettes to consist of a tobacco filler portion and an adjoining mouthpiece portion. Cigarettes of this type are commonly referred to as " filter cigarettes" and mouthpieces are referred to as "filters ", irrespective of the filtering action, if any, which the mouthpiece may perform. For example, a filter or part of a filter may comprise a tube.

Composite mouthpieces or filters are known in which each filter comprises at least two axially adjacent portions of different filter material. For example, a common construction of a composite (dual) filter has a portion consisting of a prewrapped plug of paper-like material and a portion consisting of a tow of cellulose acetate fibres or other suitable fibrous material.

It is known to form a composite filter rod by assembling filter portions of different materials in an alternating stream and continuously feeding the stream into the garniture of a continuous rod filter making machine where it is enclosed in a continuous wrapper web. It is also known to assemble alternating filter portions in aligned groups which are conveyed transversely to their lengths and a precut piece of wrapper material rolled and sealed around the whole length of each group to form a composite filter rod.

In British Patent Application No.

13168/76 (Serial No. 1 573 801), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in full, a method of forming a composite filter rod is described, which method comprises intercaliting a subgroup of first filter portions with a subgroup of second filter portions to form a group of alternating aligned first and second portions moving in an endwise direction.

arresting the endwise movement of said group and moving the group in a direction transverse to its length, and wrapping and sealing a uniting band around the end portions of each adjacent pair of filter portions in the group. In the arrangement described in said application the enwisemoving groups are fed underneath a catcher drum which is adapted to deflect them sideways and subsequently convey the groups in a direction transverse to their lengths.

The appartus of the present invention is usable as an alternative arrangement for transferring the groups from a conveyor on which they are moved in a transverse direction. According to the invention apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, comprises a first conveyor for moving rod-like articles in an endwise direction, a second conveyor for moving rod-like articles in a direction transverse to their lengths, and a transfer conveyor for moving articles from the first to the second conveyor, said transfer conveyor having spaced parallel carrier members disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the transfer conveyor and arranged so that articles conveyed by said members are maintained parallel to their poistions on the first conveyor whilst being moved with a component of velocity in the direction of movement of the first conveyor and with a component of movement in the direction of movement of the second conveyor.

The transfer conveyor may comprise a band conveyor arranged at an angle to the direction of movement on said first conveyor. The carrier members may be provided with suction to hold the articles.

Thus the carrier members are swept across the first conveyor and receive axially moving rod-like articles and transfer them to a second conveyor such as a fluted drum, with a component of velocity in the same direction as the peripheral velocity of the second conveyor. This arrangement is well suited to the transfer of assembled groups of component filter portions from a suction band conveyor on which they are assembled to a series of fluted drums leading to a suction rolling drum and plate on which the groups are formed into composite filter rods.

In its use in the forming of composite rods the present invention may be associated with the invention disclosed in our copending Application No. 25561/76 (Serial No. 1 576 212), which invention is concerned with apparatus for feeding wrapper material comprising means for feeding a web of material, means for continuously longitudinally slitting the web into a number of strips, at least two endless bands arranged so that each strip may be supported by a a band between a first region of the band path and a second region of said path, guide means for the bands to cause the bands to travel in adjacent paths in said first region and in laterally spaced paths in said region, and means for receiving laterally spaced strips from the bands in said second region.The strips may be transversely cut into portions to provide a plurality of uniting bands which are wrapped and sealed around adjacent end portions of each adjacent pair of rod-like articles in a group of component filter portions.

The disclosure of our copending Application No. 13823/75 Serial No. 1 509 773, which relates to a method of forming a group of component filter portions into a composite filter rod, is hereby incorporated herein in full.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus for producing composite filter rods, Figure 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1, viewed from the right hand side of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1, showing a band conveyor for component filter portions, Figure 4A is a section on the line IVA lVA of Figure 3, Figure 4B is a section on the line IVB IVB of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a further section through the band conveyor of Figure 3, showing transfer of component filter portions to a fluted drum, Figure 6 is a detail plan view of part of a set of pulleys for feeding wrapper material in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of part of one of the pulleys of Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows the component filter portions produced from a rod length of one type of filter material, Figure 9 shows the component filter portions produced from a rod length of another type of filter material, Figure 10 shows an assembled group of component filter portions for forming into a composite filter rod, and Figure 11 shows a composite filter rod produced from the assembled components of Figure 10.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a fluted drum 212 is arranged to receive rod lengths of a first type of filter material from a hopper (not shown) positioned above the drum. Rotary cutting knives 214 are provided at axially spaced positions to sub divide the rod lengths into first component filter portions as the lengths are conveyed in the flutes of the drum 212. These filter portions are fed out of their flute by means of a conveyor 216 (Figure 2) carrying pusher members 217 which pass obliquely through successive flutes so as to form a line of endwise-moving portions. The leading filter portion is pushed up out of line (by means not shown in the drawings) so as to expose its rear face for engagement by a pusher 218 carried by a rotatable turntable or disc 220. The pusher 218 accele- rates the filter portion and pushes it onto a suction conveyor, the line of which is indicated at 222.

A similar arrangement is provided, downstream relative to the conveyor 222, for feeding rod lengths of a second type of filter material. Thus a fluted drum 232, knives 234, and conveyor 236 cooperate to supply a line of second component filter portions to a disc 240 having pushers 238 which supply the filter portions onto the suction conveyor 222.

The two filter portion feeding devices associated with the drums 212 and 232 are arranged to feed first and second component filter portions onto the suction conveyor 222 at spaced intervals so that in general they alternate with each other and are somewhat spaced apart. The apparatus thus far described is similar to that described and illustrated in British Patent Specification No. 971,491, to which reference is directed for further details.

The first filter rod lengths, supplied to the drum 212, may be of cellulose acetate fibres, whereas the second filter rod lengths, supplied to the drum 232, may be of myria or other paper-like material. The division of each first rod length into component filter portions by means of knives 214a and 214b is indicated in Figure 8. The division of each second rod length into component filter portions by means of knives 234a, 234b and 234e is indicated in Figure 9. It should be noted that the first filter rod lengths are divided into three equal portions and the second filter rod lengths are divided into two equal portions and two end half portions.

The component portions from one rod supplied to the drum 212 are intercalated with the portions obtained from a rod supplied to the drum 232 to form a group.

Each group comprises a leading portion which is a half unit length portion of the second filter material, followed by alternating unit length portions, and a trailing portion which consists of the other half unit length portion from the second filter rod.

A group in which the spaces between component portions have been closed up is shown in Figure 10. A group is not restricted to the arrangement shown in Figure 10: the first and second filter rods could be divided in different ways to produce different combinations of alternating components.

Each group is delivered by the suction conveyor 222 towards a series of drums which forms the group into a composite filter rod. Each composite filter rod is divided to produce individual composite filters comprising half portions of the first and second filter materials: this explains why each group has a half portion at its ends. In order that correctly formed groups are supplied by the conveyor 222 the relative timing of the delivery from the drums 212 and 232 should allow the adjajacent half portions from successive rods carried by the drum 232 to be deposited on the conveyor 222 without any portion from the drum 212 occupying the space between them.

Each group is closed up into a substantially abutting line of components on the conveyor 222 by means of a spring finger which frictionally retards the filter portions on the conveyor, or by means of a camoperated braking member such as that disclosed in British Patent Specification No.

917,701. Retarding means is indicated diagramamtically at 244.

Successive groups are transferred from the conveyor 222 to alternate flutes of a fluted catcher drum 246 by means of an angled suction conveyor band 260. As shown more clearly in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the conveyor band 260 carries a series of spaced mouldings 262 each of which has a groove 264 connected to a suction chamber 266 under which the conveyor 260 runs.

The grooves 264 are inclined to the length of the conveyor band 260 by such an angle that they are parallel to the conveyor 222 and are of such length that they can pick up a group from the conveyor 222 and con vey it by means of suction to a position where it is transferred, again by means of suction, to the drum 246 as shown in Figure 5. Each flute of the drum 246 which receives a group is provided with an end stop to arrest axial movement of a group supplied from the conveyor band 260.

Referring back to Figures 1 and 2, groups transferred to alternate flutes of the drum 246 are conveyed by suction and subsequently transferred to an end closure drum 252. The drum 252 cooperates with fixed guides which cause the components of each group to be abutted and accurately positioned relative to the axis of the drum.

Thus the component filter portions are in the correct position for transfer from the drum 252 to a cooperating suction rolling drum 254 and rolling plate 256.

The groups are united into a composite filter rod by the action of the rolling drum and rolling plate and, whilst it would be possible to unite the groups by means of wrappers which span the whole length of each group, it is preferred to form the rods by rolling uniting bands around adjacent end portions of each component filter portion of a group. One uniting band may in fact span one or more component filter portions and therefore unite more than two portions of the rod but, in general, the total width of the uniting bands is less than the length of the completed filter rod. One arrangement for forming composite filter rods, in which uniting bands are obtained by severing each of a series of parallel strips of wrapping material, is disclosed in British Patent Application No. 13823/75 Serial No. 1 509 773, to which reference is directed for further details.The drums 252 and 254 and the rolling plate 256 may correspond to the drums 120 and 122 and rolling plate 125 of said application.

The method of obtaining spaced uniting bands in said Application No. 13823/75 Serial No. 1 509 773, uses turner bars. An alternative arrangement which is used in the present apparatus, and which forms the subject of Application No. 25561/76 (Serial No. 1 576 212), is shown diagrammatically in Figures 2, 6 and 7. A comparatively wide web of wrapper material 270 is supplied from a reel 272 to a pair of drive rollers 274. The web 270 passes through a guide 276 (which is primarily of use for threading of a new web) and onto a series of suction bands 278. The web 270 is carried on the bands 278 through rotary cutting knives 280 which divide the web into strips 282, each strip being carried by a single suction band 278.After passing the knives 280 the bands 278 pass around angled drive pulleys 284 (See Figure 6) which space the strips 282 by the appropriate amount for the composite filter rod being produced. The bands 278 and strips 282 do not lie in a single plane after leaving the pulleys 282 but guide means are provided so that they again lie in a single plane for transfer of the strips to the suction rolling drum 254. Suction is maintained on the bands 278 in the region 286. The bands 278 return to a parallel adjacent position to support the web 270 via idler pulleys 288 and 290. The arrangement of the pulley or pulleys 288 in particular may be such that the bands 278 are caused to follow a twisting course so that they lie in a single plane in the region of drum 254.

The drive pulleys 284 are shown in Figure 5. The end pulleys 284 are supported on shafts 292, either one of which may be the driven shaft and the other pulleys are connected to these and interconnected by universal joints 294. In an alternative arrangement the drive for the bands 278 can be supplied through the pulley or pulleys 288 and the pulleys 284 can be freely rotatable on angled shafts. A detail view of one of the pulleys 284 is shown in Figure 7 from which it can be seen that the suction band 278 runs in a recess 296 with the strips 282 of wrapping material running on the outer levels of the pulley.

The web 270 is preferably coated with a hot melt adhesive which can be reactivated by a heater on the suction rolling drum 254. Alternatively a paster could be supplied to paste the strips 282 whilst they are supported on the bands 278.

The strips 282 are transferred from the bands 278 to the suction rolling drum 254 and are severed by means of the rotary knife 298 and spaced by the differential speed of the drum 254 and bands 278.

Details of a typical rolling, wrapping and sealing operation are disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 886,657. Thus a series of parallel spaced uniting bands is supplied by the drum 254 to the rolling plate 256 for wrapping and sealing around the groups of component filter portions supplied by the drum 252. A composite filter rod formed by wrapping uniting bands around a group of component filter portions as shown in Figure 10 is shown in Figure 11.

Completed composite filter rods are transferred from the rolling plate 256 onto a further suction drum 300 which in turn supplies them to an endless band conveyor 302 for movement away from the apparatus as a continuous stack of filter rods. The rods are eventually supplied to a machine for assembling filter cigarettes where they are severed at the positions indicated by chain-dot lines in Figure 11 and each portion so obtained placed between and united to two tobacco lengths. Individual filter cigarettes are then obtained by dividing the resulting assemblage at its midpoint.

Whilst the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 so far described would operate quite satisfactorily it is preferred to double its capacity for production by providing similar apparatus for assembling groups of component filter portions on a conveyor 222a and producing composite filter rods from these groups. Corresponding parts of this additional apparatus have been given corresponding reference numbers with a suffix a. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the conveyor 260a is angled in the opposite direction to the conveyor 260 and supplies groups to a catcher drum 246b rotating in the opposite direction to drum 246. Subsequently, however, the groups are transferred to a drum 246a aligned with and rotating in the same direction as drum 246.

The drums 246 and 246a, 252 and 252a, 254 and 254a, and 298 and 298a may be mounted on common spindles. It is preferred that groups on the drums 246 etc.

should be staggered in relation to groups on the drums 246a etc. so that completed composite filter rods can be moved together on the single drum 300, by means of guides 304 as shown in Figure 1.

The production of component filter portions as indicated in Figures 8 and 9 can be modified so that more components are produced from each single rod (which may of course be longer). For example up to seven unit lengths may be obtained from a single rod using an arrangement of cutting knives as disclosed in our British Patent Application No. 13168/76 (Serial No. 1 573 801), to which reference is directed for details.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, comprising a first conveyor for moving rod-like articles in an endwise direction, a second conveyor for moving rod-like articles in a direction transverse to their lengths, and a transfer conveyor for moving articles from the first to the second conveyor, said transfer conveyor having spaced parallel carrier members disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the transfer conveyor and arranged so that articles conveyed by said members are maintained parallel to their positions

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. through a guide 276 (which is primarily of use for threading of a new web) and onto a series of suction bands 278. The web 270 is carried on the bands 278 through rotary cutting knives 280 which divide the web into strips 282, each strip being carried by a single suction band 278. After passing the knives 280 the bands 278 pass around angled drive pulleys 284 (See Figure 6) which space the strips 282 by the appropriate amount for the composite filter rod being produced. The bands 278 and strips 282 do not lie in a single plane after leaving the pulleys 282 but guide means are provided so that they again lie in a single plane for transfer of the strips to the suction rolling drum 254. Suction is maintained on the bands 278 in the region 286.The bands 278 return to a parallel adjacent position to support the web 270 via idler pulleys 288 and 290. The arrangement of the pulley or pulleys 288 in particular may be such that the bands 278 are caused to follow a twisting course so that they lie in a single plane in the region of drum 254. The drive pulleys 284 are shown in Figure 5. The end pulleys 284 are supported on shafts 292, either one of which may be the driven shaft and the other pulleys are connected to these and interconnected by universal joints 294. In an alternative arrangement the drive for the bands 278 can be supplied through the pulley or pulleys 288 and the pulleys 284 can be freely rotatable on angled shafts. A detail view of one of the pulleys 284 is shown in Figure 7 from which it can be seen that the suction band 278 runs in a recess 296 with the strips 282 of wrapping material running on the outer levels of the pulley. The web 270 is preferably coated with a hot melt adhesive which can be reactivated by a heater on the suction rolling drum 254. Alternatively a paster could be supplied to paste the strips 282 whilst they are supported on the bands 278. The strips 282 are transferred from the bands 278 to the suction rolling drum 254 and are severed by means of the rotary knife 298 and spaced by the differential speed of the drum 254 and bands 278. Details of a typical rolling, wrapping and sealing operation are disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 886,657. Thus a series of parallel spaced uniting bands is supplied by the drum 254 to the rolling plate 256 for wrapping and sealing around the groups of component filter portions supplied by the drum 252. A composite filter rod formed by wrapping uniting bands around a group of component filter portions as shown in Figure 10 is shown in Figure 11. Completed composite filter rods are transferred from the rolling plate 256 onto a further suction drum 300 which in turn supplies them to an endless band conveyor 302 for movement away from the apparatus as a continuous stack of filter rods. The rods are eventually supplied to a machine for assembling filter cigarettes where they are severed at the positions indicated by chain-dot lines in Figure 11 and each portion so obtained placed between and united to two tobacco lengths. Individual filter cigarettes are then obtained by dividing the resulting assemblage at its midpoint. Whilst the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 so far described would operate quite satisfactorily it is preferred to double its capacity for production by providing similar apparatus for assembling groups of component filter portions on a conveyor 222a and producing composite filter rods from these groups. Corresponding parts of this additional apparatus have been given corresponding reference numbers with a suffix a. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the conveyor 260a is angled in the opposite direction to the conveyor 260 and supplies groups to a catcher drum 246b rotating in the opposite direction to drum 246. Subsequently, however, the groups are transferred to a drum 246a aligned with and rotating in the same direction as drum 246. The drums 246 and 246a, 252 and 252a, 254 and 254a, and 298 and 298a may be mounted on common spindles. It is preferred that groups on the drums 246 etc. should be staggered in relation to groups on the drums 246a etc. so that completed composite filter rods can be moved together on the single drum 300, by means of guides 304 as shown in Figure 1. The production of component filter portions as indicated in Figures 8 and 9 can be modified so that more components are produced from each single rod (which may of course be longer). For example up to seven unit lengths may be obtained from a single rod using an arrangement of cutting knives as disclosed in our British Patent Application No. 13168/76 (Serial No. 1 573 801), to which reference is directed for details. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, comprising a first conveyor for moving rod-like articles in an endwise direction, a second conveyor for moving rod-like articles in a direction transverse to their lengths, and a transfer conveyor for moving articles from the first to the second conveyor, said transfer conveyor having spaced parallel carrier members disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the transfer conveyor and arranged so that articles conveyed by said members are maintained parallel to their positions

on the first conveyor whilst being moved with a component of velocity in the direction of movement of the first conveyor and with a component of movement in the direction of movement of the second conveyor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transfer conveyor comprises a band conveyor arranged at an angle to the direction of movement on said first conveyor.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including means for applying suction to said carrier members to pick up and hold articles from said first conveyor.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first conveyor is a band conveyor and the second conveyor is a fluted drum with its axis parallel to the direction of movement of the first conveyor.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the transfer conveyor is arranged to move spaced groups of axially aligned rod-like articles.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 including means for forming spaced groups of rod-like articles on the first conveyor.

7. Appartus as claimed in claim 6 including means for assembling groups of alternating component filter portions of different filter materials on said first conveyor.

8. Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles as claimed in any preceding claim and substantially as herein described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.