GB1578138A - Conveyor system for cigarette making and packing assembly - Google Patents

Description

(54) CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR CIGARETTE MAKING AND PACKING ASSEMBLY (71) We, MOLINS LIMITED, a British Company, of 2 Evelyn Street, Deptford, London SE8 5DH, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the rriethod by which it is to be performed, to be particu- larly described in and by the following statement: This invention is concerned with an improvement in the "ring main" conveyor systems shown in Figures 6 and 7 of our British Patent Application No. 51321/74, (Serial No. 1519777) to which reference is directed in its entirety.

According to this invention, a cigarette making and packing assembly including a number of cigarette making and packing machines and a number of cigarette reservoirs is arranged in two or more groups of machines, each group including a number of making machines, a number of packing machines and a number of reservoirs connected by a closed conveyor system, and the groups being interconnected so that cigarettes can be fed from one group to another.

As a result of this invention, a fault occurring in the closed or "ring main" conveyor system of one group need not prevent operation of the machines in the other groups. Furthermore, a degree of flexibility is allowed in that the various groups can be run either on separate brands of cigarettes (with the interconnections inoperative) or on a single brand with the interconnections in operation so as to facilitate manufacture at the highest possible efficiency.

When the groups are interconnected, flow between the groups may be controlled automatically so as tq maintain all the reservoirs at approximately the same state of fullness.

In other words, when the quantity of cigarettes in the reservoir of one group exceeds the quantity of cigarettes in the reservoirs of an adjacent group by more than a predetermined amount, cigarettes may be automatically fed from the first group to the second group.

Preferably each group contains subgroups of making and packing machines (for example one making machine and one packing machine), each with its own reservoir, the sub-groups being connected by the closed conveyor system. In this way, if each sub-group is balanced as regards its making and packing capacities, each sub-group can operate independently of the other subgroups, 9 and only delivers cigarettes into the closed conveyor system or receives cigarettes from the closed' conveyor system when the or a making machine or packing machine in one sub-group ,is out of action for a significant period.

An example of an assembly according to this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showing one ring-main group and part of another; and Figure 2 is an enlarged view on the line Il-Il in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows one complete group of making and packing machines comprising four cigarette making machines 9, 10, 11 and 12 associated respectively with packing machines 13, 14, 15 and 16 and reversible reservoirs 17, 18, 19 and 20. Each sub-group (for example comprising maker 12, packer 16 and reservoir 20) can operate as an independent unit. However, all four sub-groups are interconnected by a ring main conveyor system 21 which conveys excess cigarettes from any particular subgroup to the next adjacent one in the direction of the arrows, i.e. in a counter-clockwise direction around the ring.

An adjacent ring main group includes four similar sub-groups of which the cigarette maker 23 of one, and the packer 24 and reservoir 25 of Panother, are shown in Figure 1 in positions corresponding to the maker 10, packer 15 and reservoir 19.

Each of the reservoirs may be basically as described in British Patent Specification No. 1,299,174.

Figure 2 shows in particular how cigarette maker 12 is arranged to supply cigarettes directly to the packer 16, short-term differences between supply and demand being accommodated by the associated reservoir 20. A stack of cigarettes 30 is delivered from maker 12 and is conveyed upwards by an elevator 31 to a junction 32. An overhead conveyor 33, which forms part of the ring main, conveys cigarettes in stack formation to a junction 34 above a chute 35 leading to the packer 16. Any cigarettes which are not required by the packer 16 are moved on, under the control of a sensor above the junction 34, to a further overhead conveyor 36 (reversible) leading to a junction 37.From the junction 37 the cigarettes can either enter the reservoir via a reversible conveyor section 38 or can pass down a chute 39 to an overhead conveyor 40 (forming part of the ring main) which conveys cigarettes towards the next adjacent maker/packer sub-group. The reservoir is reversible so that it can deliver cigarettes back into the junction 37 and, when necessary, into the junction 34, either when demanded by the packer 16 or alternatively when an additional supply of cigarettes is required to pass along the conveyor 40 to the next sub-group.

The conveyor 40 extends to a junction 41 (identified in Figure 1 only) which is similar to the junction 32 but is associated with an elevator receiving cigarettes from the maker 11.

An overhead conveyor 42 moving towards the junction 32 and forming part of the ring main extends along a curved path, as shown in Figure 1, so as to connect one straight side of the ring main to the other. An adjacent curved conveyor 43 forming part of the ring main 22 passes below the conveyor 42, as shown in Figure 2. The two ring mains may be connected, for example, via reversible vertical feeds 44 and 45 extending downwards respectively from the conveyors 43 and 42 to a horizontal conveyor 46 which moves along a curved path (see Figure 1) so as to be parallel to the conveyors 43 and 42 in the region of the vertical feeds.

Each of the vertical feeds 44 and 45, and each of the elevators, may be as described in our Patent Specification No.

1,453,191 or in patent application No.

52473/76.

The conveyor 46 and at least the curved sections of the ring main conveyors may be in accordance with our British Patent Specification No. 1,309,071.

A third ring main linking four further makers with four further packers may be positioned at the right hand end of the ring main 22, thus providing a total assembly consisting of 12 makers and 12 packers, each maker/packer unit having an associated reservoir. Alternatively, it may be possible to dispense with one or more reservoirs in each ring main. Whatever the case, the linking of all three ring stains allows the maximum manufacturing efficiency in that any significant period of inoperability of one or more makers or packers can be allowed for by all the reservoirs acting together. In other words, the total capacity d all the reservoirs is available to absorb cigarettes in the event of a packer stoppage and to supply cigarettes in the event of a maker stoppage.However, if the three ring main systems are required to operate independently, for example if different brands of cigarettes are being handled by the three ring mains, then that can readily be achieved simply by stopping the reversible vertical feeds 44 and 45. Furthermore, in the preferred arrangement in which each maker is directly associated with a packer and with a reservoir, in the event of failure in part of the ring main linking one unit to another (e.g. in the conveyor section 40) each maker/ packer unit can continue to operate independently.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: l. A cigarette making and packing assembly including cigarette making machines, packing machines and reservoirs arranged in two or more groups each of which includes a number of making machines, a number of packing machines and a number of reservoirs connected by a closed conveyor system, the groups being interconnected so that cigarettes can be fed from one group to another.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1 in which the components of each group are arranged to form sub-groups each consisting of a making machine associated directly with a packing machine and a reservoir.

3. An assembly according to Claim 2 in which excess cigarettes from any particular sub-group are arranged to pass in a predetermined direction to the next adjacent sub-group.

4. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which adjacent groups are interconnected via two vertical feeds and a horizontal conveyor.

5. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 including means for monitOf- ing the state of the reservoirs of the various groups and for controlling the feed of cigarettes between the groups so as to tend to maintain approximately equal the quantity of cigarettes in the reservoirs of the respective groups.

6. An assembly according to Claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. 20. A stack of cigarettes 30 is delivered from maker 12 and is conveyed upwards by an elevator 31 to a junction 32. An overhead conveyor 33, which forms part of the ring main, conveys cigarettes in stack formation to a junction 34 above a chute 35 leading to the packer 16. Any cigarettes which are not required by the packer 16 are moved on, under the control of a sensor above the junction 34, to a further overhead conveyor 36 (reversible) leading to a junction 37. From the junction 37 the cigarettes can either enter the reservoir via a reversible conveyor section 38 or can pass down a chute 39 to an overhead conveyor 40 (forming part of the ring main) which conveys cigarettes towards the next adjacent maker/packer sub-group.The reservoir is reversible so that it can deliver cigarettes back into the junction 37 and, when necessary, into the junction 34, either when demanded by the packer 16 or alternatively when an additional supply of cigarettes is required to pass along the conveyor 40 to the next sub-group. The conveyor 40 extends to a junction 41 (identified in Figure 1 only) which is similar to the junction 32 but is associated with an elevator receiving cigarettes from the maker 11. An overhead conveyor 42 moving towards the junction 32 and forming part of the ring main extends along a curved path, as shown in Figure 1, so as to connect one straight side of the ring main to the other. An adjacent curved conveyor 43 forming part of the ring main 22 passes below the conveyor 42, as shown in Figure 2. The two ring mains may be connected, for example, via reversible vertical feeds 44 and 45 extending downwards respectively from the conveyors 43 and 42 to a horizontal conveyor 46 which moves along a curved path (see Figure 1) so as to be parallel to the conveyors 43 and 42 in the region of the vertical feeds. Each of the vertical feeds 44 and 45, and each of the elevators, may be as described in our Patent Specification No.

1,453,191 or in patent application No.

52473/76.

The conveyor 46 and at least the curved sections of the ring main conveyors may be in accordance with our British Patent Specification No. 1,309,071.

A third ring main linking four further makers with four further packers may be positioned at the right hand end of the ring main 22, thus providing a total assembly consisting of 12 makers and 12 packers, each maker/packer unit having an associated reservoir. Alternatively, it may be possible to dispense with one or more reservoirs in each ring main. Whatever the case, the linking of all three ring stains allows the maximum manufacturing efficiency in that any significant period of inoperability of one or more makers or packers can be allowed for by all the reservoirs acting together. In other words, the total capacity d all the reservoirs is available to absorb cigarettes in the event of a packer stoppage and to supply cigarettes in the event of a maker stoppage.However, if the three ring main systems are required to operate independently, for example if different brands of cigarettes are being handled by the three ring mains, then that can readily be achieved simply by stopping the reversible vertical feeds 44 and 45. Furthermore, in the preferred arrangement in which each maker is directly associated with a packer and with a reservoir, in the event of failure in part of the ring main linking one unit to another (e.g. in the conveyor section 40) each maker/ packer unit can continue to operate independently.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: l. A cigarette making and packing assembly including cigarette making machines, packing machines and reservoirs arranged in two or more groups each of which includes a number of making machines, a number of packing machines and a number of reservoirs connected by a closed conveyor system, the groups being interconnected so that cigarettes can be fed from one group to another.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1 in which the components of each group are arranged to form sub-groups each consisting of a making machine associated directly with a packing machine and a reservoir.

3. An assembly according to Claim 2 in which excess cigarettes from any particular sub-group are arranged to pass in a predetermined direction to the next adjacent sub-group.

4. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which adjacent groups are interconnected via two vertical feeds and a horizontal conveyor.

5. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 including means for monitOf- ing the state of the reservoirs of the various groups and for controlling the feed of cigarettes between the groups so as to tend to maintain approximately equal the quantity of cigarettes in the reservoirs of the respective groups.

6. An assembly according to Claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.