GB1584713A

GB1584713A - Conveying apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1584713A
Application number: GB2332777A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hauni Werke Koerber and Co KG
Current assignee: Koerber AG
Priority date: 1973-09-27
Filing date: 1977-06-02
Publication date: 1981-02-18
Also published as: FR2354058B2; DE2626157A1; FR2354059A2; FR2354058A2

Description

(54) CONVEYING APPARATUS (71) We, HAUNI-WERKE KORBER & BR< Co KG., a German Company of Kampchaussee 12-22, 2050 Hamburg 80, Germany (Fed. Rep.), do hereby declare the 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 an arrangement for conveying a stream of rod-like articles, in particular cigarettes, filter rods or the like, from a production machine to a processing machine.

According to the present invention there is provided an arrangement for conveying a stream of rod-like articles, in particular cigarettes, filter rods or the like, from a production machine to a processing machine, comprising a buffer store whose capacity can be varied depending on the ratio of articles produced to articles processed, a first conveyor for supplying a stream of articles produced to a fork, to which two discharge conveyors are connected, whereof one (a second) conveyor leads to the processing machine, whereas the other (the third) conveyor leads to the buffer store, the arrangement being such that when a surplus of articles is available for processing articles pass from the first to the third conveyor and when no such surplus is present articles pass from the first to the second conveyor, and a fourth conveyor for conveying the stream of articles from the buffer store to the processing machine, wherein the second and third conveyors are constructed to convey multilayer streams of articles at least part of the way from the fork to the processing machine or to the buffer store.

Preferably, the first conveyor is constructed to convey a multi-layer stream of articles to the fork.

Preferably, the second conveyor is adapted to convey the articles directly to the processing machine.

The third conveyor preferably comprises belts guided in parallel, which are adapted to convey the articles upwards to the buffer store located above the production machine and/or processing machine.

Embodiments of the invention are described in detail hereafter with reference to the drawings: Figure 1 shows an arrangement for conveying rod-like articles of the tobaccoprocessing industry from a production machine to a processing machine, diagrammatically, Figure 2 shows a variation of an arrangement according to Figure 1.

In figure 1, the reference numeral 1 designates the discharge end of a production machine in the form of a filter attachment machine, on which the last drums 2, 3, representing a first conveyor, are shown. The drum 3 is part of a controllable fork 4, to which the drums 6 and 7 likewise belong.

All the drums 3, 6 and 7 have grooves for conveying rod-like articles 5 in the form of filter cigarettes, in a single row, the grooves being supplied with vacuum intake air over the conveying region of the drums. The conveying regions o the drums 3, 6, designated by the lines 8, 9 can be connected to a source 10 of vacuum intake air alternately by way of a reversing valve 11, independently of the remaining supply of vacuum intake air.A (third) conveyor 12 leads from the fork 4 to a buffer store 13 and consists of pairs of conveyor belts 14, 16 and 17, 18 for conveying the articles 5 upwards in a single layer, the conveyor belts 14 and 17 as well as 16 and 18 being able to be connected kinematically or separated by way of clutches 19, 21 between their roles24, 26 mounted on common shafts 22, 23 and of a conveyor 25 extending horizontally with a conveyor belt 27, above which a conveyor belt 29 for the frictional forwards movement of a multi-layer stream of articles 30 is located, before a fork 28.The conveyor belts 27 and 39 are interconnected kinematically and can be driven by a rotary field magnet 31, which is controlled by a level detector 32 in an insertion area 33, in which the multi-layer stream of articles 30 is formed from the stream of articles in a single layer, such that a multi-layer stream of articles 30 having a constant level is formed and suPplied to the fork 28.

The fork 28 comprises an accumulation area 34, in which a level detector 36 is located, which controls a rotary field magnet 37 as a drive for a horizontal bottom belt 38 of the buffer store 13 in order to keep the quantity of articles in the accumulation area 34 constant. An end wall 39 is attached to the bottom belt 38.

A (fourth) conveyor 41 leads from the buffer store 13 or fork 28 to a magazine 42 of a processing machine 43 in the form of a cigarette packing machine. The conveyor 41 comprises a vertical chute 44 leaving the fork 28 and an adjoining horizontal conveyor belt 46, which opens into a further vertical chute 47, which is followed by a horizontal conveyor 48 for conveying a multi-layer stream of articles 49 from the left-hand side into the magazine 42 of the processing machine 43. The conveyor 48 consists of kinematically connected, superimposed conveyor belts 51, 52, which are driven by a rotary field magnet 53. A rotary field magnet 54 for the conveyor belt 46 is controlled by a level detector 56 in the inlet region of the chute 47. (In the case of a corresponding extension of the conveyor belt 27 of the conveyor 12, an extended chute 44 can open directly onto the conveyor belt 51).

A (second) conveyor 57, on which the articles 5 can pass directly from the production machine 1 to the processing machine 43, consists of a conveyor 58 for discharging articles 5 in a single layer, from the fork 4, in that a conveyor belt 59 leaves the drum 8 and a conveyor belt 61 is located above the latter, so that the articles 5 are conveyed frictionally between the conveyor belts 59 and 61, as well as of a subsequent, horizontal conveyor 62 rotating slowly, for conveying a multi-layer stream of articles 63 from the right-hand side into the magazine 42 of the processing machine 43. The conveyor 62 consists of kinematically connected, superimposed conveyor belts 64, 66, which are driven by a rotary field magnet 67.It is possible to see into the conveyor 62 from above in a section adjacent a level detector 68 at the opening of the conveyor 58, in that the conveyor belt 66 is shorter than the conveyor belt 64. The conveyor 62 is thus constructed as an inspection section 69 over part of its conveying section. The level detector 68 controls the rotary field magnet 67 and thus the conveyor belts 64, 66 depending on the articles 5 supplied by the conveyor 58, such that a multi-layer stream of articles having a constant level is formed on the conveyor belt 64 and supplied to the magazine 43. The magazine 42 of the processing machine 43 is covered by a diaphragm 71 and comprises a supplymonitoring device in the form of two level detectors 72 and 73. The level detector 72 consists of two light barriers 74, 76, which define an upper or lower filling condition of the magazine 42.The light barrier 74 controls the reversing valve 11 and thus the conveyance of articles 5 by way of the conveyor 12 or by way of the conveyor 57.

When a certain level is exceeded, the level detector 73 emits a first signal and when a certain level is not reached, it emits a second signal, the corresponding level range being smaller than that between the light barriers 74 and 76 and being between the latter. By means of a reversing switch and signal transmitter 78, able to be actuated by a lug 77 attached to the bottom belt 38 of the buffer store 13, the level detector 73 can be connected at one time to the rotary field magnet 53 of the conveyor 48, in which case it starts or stops the latter and at another time to a control arrangement 79 for a drive motor 81 of the processing machine 43, in which case it increases or reduces the output of the latter.The reversing switch and signal transmitter 78 represents a device for monitoring the supply in the buffer store 13, which apart from the afore-described switching function in its switching position shown, which it assumes when the lug 77 has passed over the latter, when moving away from the fork 28, sends a control signal to the control arrangement 79. As long as this signal lasts, the processing machine 43 operates with a higher output than the production machine 1, for example plus 10%.If the output of the processing machine 43 is controlled by the level detector 73, which is the case when the lug 77 has passed over the reversing switch and signal transmitter 78 in the direction of the fork 28, then the processing machine 43 operates at a somewhat higher, for example plus 212%, or at a somewhat lower, for example minus 21% output than the production machine 1, according to the position of the level detector 73. The light barrier 76 is likewise connected to the control arrangement 79 for stopping the processing machine 43.

Two limit switches 82 and 83 are also actuated by the lug 77 of the bottom belt 38 of the buffer store 13, when the buffer store has been emptied or filled, which switches stop the drive motor 81 of the processing machine 43 by way of the control arrangement 79, or a drive motor 84 of the production machine 1.

Apart from being connected to the reversing valve 11, the light barriers 74 and 76 in the magazine 42 of the production machine 43 are also connected to a control device 86, which engages-or disengages the clutches 19 and 21 with a delay.

The method of operation of the arrangement according to figure 1 is as follows: We will begin from the state of the arrangement shown in the drawing, which occurs when there is a breakdown in the processing machine 43 and the latter is stopped for a short time to remove this breakdown. The conveying region 9 of the drum 3 of the production machine 1 is connected to the source 10 of vacuum intake air by way of the reversing valve 11, so that the articles 5 from the production machine 1 arrive by way of the drum 3 and the drum 7 between the conveyor belts- 14 and 16, are engaged by the latter and conveyed upwards, transferred to the conveyor belts 17 and 18 entrained by the clutches 19 and 21 and conveyed by the latter into the insertion area 33.The multi-layer stream of articles 30 is formed at this point, monitored by the level detector 32 and conveyed into the accumulation area 34 by means of the conveyor belts 27 and 29. The quantity of articles present in the accumulation area 34 is monitored by the level detector 36, which controls the movement of the bottom belt 38 of the buffer store 13 away from the accumulation area 34 by way of the rotary field magnet 37. If the removal of the breakdown in the processing machine 43 should take a relatively long period of time, then after filling the buffer store 13, the limit switch 83 is actuated by the lug 77, which stops the production machine 1.

If the removal of this disturbance at the processing machine 43 is successful, before the buffer store 13 has been filled, then as a result of a corresponding signal from the reversing switch and signal transmitter 78 to the control arrangement 79, the processing machine 43 is started up with a production capacity approximately 10% above the production capacity of the production machine 1. As a result of starting up the processing machine 43, filter cigarettes are removed from the magazine 42, so that the storage level drops and the light barrier 74 of the level detector 72 is exposed first of all.The latter sends a signal to the reversing valve 11, which moves into the position shown in broken line, so that now the conveying region 9 of the drum 3 is disconnected from the source 10 of vacuum intake air and in place of the latter, the conveying region 8 of the drum 6 is connected to the source 10 of vacuum intake air. The articles 5 are therefore removed bv the drum 8 from the grooves in the drum 3 and guided between the conveyor belts 59 and 61, by which they are discharged onto the conveyor belt 64 to form the multi-layer stream of articles 63. Depending on the supply of articles, the level detector 68 controls the conveyor belts 64 and 66 by way of the rotary field magnet 67, between which belts the multi-layer stream of articles 63 is moved forwards into the magazine 42 after passing through the inspection section 69.The signal from the light barrier 74 also passes to the control device 86, which after a delay period, which is measured such that all articles 5 still located between the conveyor belts 14 and 16 have arrived in the insertion area 33, the conveyor belts 17 and 18 are stopped by way of the clutches 19 and 21.

However, the articles 5 conveyed into the magazine 42 by the conveyor 57 are not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the processing machine 43. Therefore, the level in the magazine drops until the level detector 73 guided by the diaphragm 71 reaches its lower limit value and emits a signal, which controls the rotary field magnet 53 for the conveyor belts 51 and 52 by way of the reversing switch and signal transmitter 78. The magazine 42 is now supplied additionally by way of the conveyor 41 with the multi-layer stream of articles 49, this supply taking place at intervals due to starting and stopping of the rotary field magnet 53 by the level detector 73, i.e. the storage level in the magazine 42 is kept constant within the limit values of the level detector 73.The articles conveyed by the conveyor 41 into the magazine 42 are removed from the buffer store 13, in that as a result of the removal of articles from the chute 47, the level detector 56 controls the conveyor belt 46 accordingly by way of the rotary field magnet 54, so that articles are removed by the latter from the chute 44, which is once more ascertained by the level detector 36 and the bottom belt 38 of the buffer store 13 is moved towards the fork 28 by the rotary field magnet 37. In this way, the buffer store 13 is emptied gradually, until the lug 77 travels over the reversing switch and signal transmitter 78, which has the result that the signal at the control arrangement 79 disappears and the level detector 73 is now connected to the control arrangement 79.Irrespective of the articles supplied by way of the conveyor 57, the level detector 73 now controls the capacity of the processing machine 43 such that according to the storage level in the magazine 42, the machine 43 operates either with a capacity approximately 2% higher or approximately 32% lower than the production machine 1.

If a disturbance in the processing machine 43 occurs once more, then the level in the magazine 42 increases as far as the light barrier 74, whose output signal disappears, due to which the reversing valve 11 reverses into its position shown and the control device 86 once more kinematically connects the conveyor belts 14 and 17 as well as 16 and 18 by way of the clutches 19 and 21. In this case, the articles 5 are thus once more conveyed to the buffer store 13 by the conveyor 12.

If a breakdown occurs in the production machine 1, then the supply of articles 5 by way of the conveyor 57 into the magazine 42 is interrupted, in that the rotary field magnet 67 for the conveyor belts 64 and 66 is stopped by the level detector 68. The storage level in the magazine 42 drops as far as the light barrier 76, which sends a stop signal to the control arrangement 79 for the drive motor 81 of the processing machine 43, as it becomes exposed. If the breakdown in the production machine 1 is removed, articles 5 are once more conveyed by way of the conveyor 57 directly into the magazine 42 of the processing machine 43, in which case it is possible to inspect the articles 5 at the inspection section 69 or even to remove a sample manually for closer examination.

This can naturally also be done during normal production, in which case the fact that a sample of articles travelling by way of the conveyor 12, buffer store 13 and conveyor 41 is removed, is not troublesome because in comparison to the quantity of articles travelling by way of the conveyor 57, the number of articles taking this route is only very low.

The reversing switch and signal transmitter 78 can naturally be located at another position of the buffer store 13, for example in its centre, so that if the production machine 1 breaks down, the processing machine 43 can be supplied from the buffer store 13. Furthermore, a particular control of the production capacity of the production machine and/or processing machine is possible depending on the degree of filling of the buffer store 13, so that if one machine breaks down, the other can be operated at reduced capacity for a relatively long period of time.

In the variation according to figure 2, parts which correspond to those of figure 1, are given the same reference numerals, increased by 100 and are not described again in detail. Also, the drawing has been simplified insofar that the monitoring and control arrangements have not been shown again where they are identical to those of figure 1. Also, the drives for the conveyor belts in the form of rotary field magnets are not shown. If, in the arrangement according to figure 1, guidance of the articles on the second or on the third conveyor was undertaken with a stream of articles in a single layer, then in the construction according to figure 2, this guidance takes place with a multi-layer stream of articles. This has the result that the inspection section 169 is located between the conveyor 158 for the stream of articles in a single layer and a fork 187.A fork 187 comprises an accumulation area 188, into which the conveyor 162 (first conveyor) for the multi-layer stream of articles 163 opens in horizontal direction and from which a conveying section 189 of the third conveyor 112 branches in a horizontal feed direction and a conveying section 191 of the second conveyor 157 branches in a vertical direction.

The conveying section 189 is formed by conveyor belts 193, 194, the conveyor belt 193 co-operating with a drum 196 for guiding a stream of articles 192 upwards in a vertical feed direction and a conveyor belt 197 following the conveyor belt 194, with which belt 197 a spring-loaded tensioning roller 198 is associated and which can be supported on a curved guide at its side remote from the articles. Conveyor belts 199, 201, which are coated with foam material on their surfaces facing the articles or are provided with entrainment means are provided for conveying the articles upwards.

For repeated guidance of the stream of articles 192, a drum 202 co-operates with the conveyor belt 201, whereas a conveyor belt 203 adjoins the conveyor belt 199, with which belt 203 a spring-loaded tensioning roller 204 is once more associated and which can be supported on a curved guide on its side remote from the articles. Adjoining the latter is a conveyor 206 opening horizontally into the accumulation area 134 of the fork 128, which conveyor 206 is formed by conveyor belts 207, 208.

In contrast to the arrangement of figure 1, the chute 144 of the fourth conveying path 141 leaving the fork 128 opens directly into the conveyor 148. The conveying section 191 of the second conveyor path 57 leaving the fork 187 consists of a chute 209 as part of the fork 187, which opens into a conveyor 210 consisting of conveyor belts 211, 212, which conveys a multi-layer stream of articles 213 in horizontal direction into the magazine 142 of the processing machine 143.

The accumulation area 188 of the fork 187 is covered buy a diaphragm 214, with which a level detector 216 is associated. The latter controls either the kinematically connected conveyors 189, 208 and the conveyor belts 199, 201 of the third conveyor 112 or the conveyor 210 of the second conveyor 157 by way of a reversing switch 217 controlled by the light barrier 174 on the magazine 142.

The method of operation of the arrangement according to figure 2 corresponds substantially to that of figure 1, however, in contrast to the latter, all the articles leaving the production machine 101 travelling through the inspection section 169 on the conveyor belt 164 and all the articles being able to be examined without exception. The fork 187 is controlled by way of the light barrier 174 on the magazine 142 of the processing machine 143, in that the level detector 216 controls either the conveyor 210, depending on the quantity of articles in the accumulation area 188, so that the stream of

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. way of the conveyor 57 into the magazine 42 is interrupted, in that the rotary field magnet 67 for the conveyor belts 64 and 66 is stopped by the level detector 68. The storage level in the magazine 42 drops as far as the light barrier 76, which sends a stop signal to the control arrangement 79 for the drive motor 81 of the processing machine 43, as it becomes exposed. If the breakdown in the production machine 1 is removed, articles 5 are once more conveyed by way of the conveyor 57 directly into the magazine 42 of the processing machine 43, in which case it is possible to inspect the articles 5 at the inspection section 69 or even to remove a sample manually for closer examination. This can naturally also be done during normal production, in which case the fact that a sample of articles travelling by way of the conveyor 12, buffer store 13 and conveyor 41 is removed, is not troublesome because in comparison to the quantity of articles travelling by way of the conveyor 57, the number of articles taking this route is only very low. The reversing switch and signal transmitter 78 can naturally be located at another position of the buffer store 13, for example in its centre, so that if the production machine 1 breaks down, the processing machine 43 can be supplied from the buffer store 13. Furthermore, a particular control of the production capacity of the production machine and/or processing machine is possible depending on the degree of filling of the buffer store 13, so that if one machine breaks down, the other can be operated at reduced capacity for a relatively long period of time. In the variation according to figure 2, parts which correspond to those of figure 1, are given the same reference numerals, increased by 100 and are not described again in detail. Also, the drawing has been simplified insofar that the monitoring and control arrangements have not been shown again where they are identical to those of figure 1. Also, the drives for the conveyor belts in the form of rotary field magnets are not shown. If, in the arrangement according to figure 1, guidance of the articles on the second or on the third conveyor was undertaken with a stream of articles in a single layer, then in the construction according to figure 2, this guidance takes place with a multi-layer stream of articles. This has the result that the inspection section 169 is located between the conveyor 158 for the stream of articles in a single layer and a fork 187.A fork 187 comprises an accumulation area 188, into which the conveyor 162 (first conveyor) for the multi-layer stream of articles 163 opens in horizontal direction and from which a conveying section 189 of the third conveyor 112 branches in a horizontal feed direction and a conveying section 191 of the second conveyor 157 branches in a vertical direction. The conveying section 189 is formed by conveyor belts 193, 194, the conveyor belt 193 co-operating with a drum 196 for guiding a stream of articles 192 upwards in a vertical feed direction and a conveyor belt 197 following the conveyor belt 194, with which belt 197 a spring-loaded tensioning roller 198 is associated and which can be supported on a curved guide at its side remote from the articles. Conveyor belts 199, 201, which are coated with foam material on their surfaces facing the articles or are provided with entrainment means are provided for conveying the articles upwards. For repeated guidance of the stream of articles 192, a drum 202 co-operates with the conveyor belt 201, whereas a conveyor belt 203 adjoins the conveyor belt 199, with which belt 203 a spring-loaded tensioning roller 204 is once more associated and which can be supported on a curved guide on its side remote from the articles. Adjoining the latter is a conveyor 206 opening horizontally into the accumulation area 134 of the fork 128, which conveyor 206 is formed by conveyor belts 207, 208. In contrast to the arrangement of figure 1, the chute 144 of the fourth conveying path 141 leaving the fork 128 opens directly into the conveyor 148. The conveying section 191 of the second conveyor path 57 leaving the fork 187 consists of a chute 209 as part of the fork 187, which opens into a conveyor 210 consisting of conveyor belts 211, 212, which conveys a multi-layer stream of articles 213 in horizontal direction into the magazine 142 of the processing machine 143. The accumulation area 188 of the fork 187 is covered buy a diaphragm 214, with which a level detector 216 is associated. The latter controls either the kinematically connected conveyors 189, 208 and the conveyor belts 199, 201 of the third conveyor 112 or the conveyor 210 of the second conveyor 157 by way of a reversing switch 217 controlled by the light barrier 174 on the magazine 142. The method of operation of the arrangement according to figure 2 corresponds substantially to that of figure 1, however, in contrast to the latter, all the articles leaving the production machine 101 travelling through the inspection section 169 on the conveyor belt 164 and all the articles being able to be examined without exception. The fork 187 is controlled by way of the light barrier 174 on the magazine 142 of the processing machine 143, in that the level detector 216 controls either the conveyor 210, depending on the quantity of articles in the accumulation area 188, so that the stream of WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Arrangement for conveying a stream of rod-like articles, in particular cigarettes, filter rods or the like, from a production machine to a processing machine, comprising a buffer store whose capacity can be varied depending on the ratio of articles produced to articles processed, a first conveyor for supplying a stream of articles produced to a fork, to which two discharge conveyors are connected, whereof one (a second) conveyor leads to the processing machine, whereas the other (the third) conveyor leads to the buffer store, the arrangement being such that when a surplus of articles is available for processing articles pass from the first to the third conveyor and when no such surplus is present articles pass from the first to the second conveyor, and a fourth conveyor for conveying the stream of articles from the buffer store to the processing machine, wherein the second and third conveyors are constructed to convey multilayer streams of articles at least part of the way from the fork to the processing machine or to the buffer store.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first conveyor is constructed to convey a multi-layer stream of articles to the fork.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second conveyor is adapted to convey the articles directly to the processing machine.

4. Arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the third conveyor comprises belts guided in parallel, which are adapted to convey the articles upwards to the buffer store located above the production machine and/or processing machine.

5. Arrangement according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the fourth conveyor terminates at the side of the inlet of the processing machine located opposite the end of the second conveyor.