GB2273643A - Device for transferring cigarettes, from a manufacturing machine to a grouping machine - Google Patents

Description

DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING PRODUCTS, PARTICULARLY CIGARETTES, FROM A

MANUFACTURING MACHINE TO A GROUPING MACHINE The present invention relates to a device for transferring products, particularly cigarettes, from a manufacturing machine to a grouping machine.

In the following description, specific reference is made, purely by way of example, to a device for transferring cigarettes from a filter assembly machine to a packing machine for forming the cigarettes into packets each containing a given Itn11 number of cigarettes.

Cigarettes are transferred from a filter assembly machine to a packing machine using transfer devices which provide for transferring the cigarettes between the two machines, as well as for a product reintegrating function.

Patents DE-PS 33 19 390 and DE-OS 37 05 941 relate to transfer devices supplied at the input with a possibly discontinuous succession of cigarettes featuring random vacancies produced by a reject device, and which provide at the output for supplying a succession of cigarettes featuring gaps respectively equal to the absence of said 'In" number of consecutive cigarettes. According to the above patents, each gap is absorbed by the packing machine performing a no-load cycle as of any point in the cycle, with the disadvantage of possibly having to reject two incomplete packets at the start and end of the no-load cycle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer device of the aforementioned type, capable of feeding the grouping machine with a succession of products in which the gaps are synchronized with the grouping machine, and may be absorbed by the grouping machine performing a no-load cycle the start of which coincides with the start of the machine cycle.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a transfer device which is extremely straightforward in design and relatively cheap to produce as compared with known devices.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for transferring products, particularly cigarettes, from a manufacturing machine to a grouping machine, in particular a packing machine, operating in time with each other; the grouping machine being designed to form the products into groups of 'In" products each; and the device comprising first input feed means with first seats for respective products in a first succession of products possibly presenting randomly distributed vacancies; second output feed means with second seats f or respective products in a second succession of products, 'said second feed means being arranged in series with said first feed means; and means for reintegrating said vacancies; characterized by the fact that said reintegrating means comprise a feedbox with at least one output for said products; withdrawal means for successively feeding the products in said feedbox to said output; reloading means for emptying sequences of 'In" consecutive said second seats, in time with the grouping machine, and for feeding the respective products to said feedbox; and transfer means for successively transferring products from said output to respective said first seats and so eliminating corresponding said vacancies.

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a cigarette manufacturing line featuring the device according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section and partial block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the Figure 1 device; Figure 3 shows a larger-scale view in perspective of a detail in Figure 2; Figures 4 to 8 show largerscale partial sections of a detail in Figure 3 in different operating positions.

Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates a line for producing cigarettes 2 and comprising a f ilter assembly machine 3, and a packing machine 4 for forming cigarettes 2 into packets (not shown) each containing a group 5 of a given 'In" number of cigarettes 2 (which, in Figure 1, equals five by way of example). Line 1 also comprises a transfer device 6 interposed between machines 3 and 4, and which is supplied at the input by machine 3 with a succession 7 of cigarettes 2 featuring randomly distributed vacancies 9 produced by a reject device 8. Device 6 provides for feeding machine 4 with a succession 10 of cigarettes 2 consisting of a succession of full portions 11 and gaps 12, wherein each full portion 11 and each gap 12 consists of an uninterrupted sequence of present and absent cigarettes 2 respectively, and wherein each said sequence is composed of a number of cigarettes 2 equal to 'In" or a multiple thereof. and is in time with machine 4. In particular, and as shown in Figure 1, each full portion 11 is defined by cigarettes 2 forming a whole number of groups 5.

As shown in Figure 2, device 6 comprises an input roller 13 tangent to an output roller 14 of machine 3, rotating anticlockwise (in Figure 2) about an axis 15 perpendicular to the Figure 2 plane, and having a number of equally spaced peripheral suction seats 16 for retaining respective cigarettes 2 by suction. Roller 13 is also tangent to a transfer roller 17 having seats 17a with the same spacing as seats 16, and rotating clockwise (in Figure 2) about an axis 18 parallel to axis 15, so as to transfer cigarettes 2 to an output unit 19 comprising a roller 20 having seats 20a with the same spacing as seats 16, and a linear conveyor 21 having seats 21a also with the same spacing as seats 16. Roller 20 rotates anticlockwise (in Figure 2) about an axis 22 parallel to axis 18, and is tangent to roller 17 and conveyor 21, which provides for feeding succession 10 to packing machine 4.

At a reintegrating station 23 upstream from the point of tangency between rollers 13 and 17 in the rotation direction of roller 13, roller 13 is tangent to a powered roller 24 constituting the output roller of a reintegrating unit 25 and which is controlled by a control system 26 so as to rotate in time with roller 13 and successively feed cigarettes 2 to station 23 for eliminating all the vacancies 9 in succession 7. More specifically, roller 24 rotates clockwise (in Figure 2) about an axis 27 parallel to axis 15, and presents a number of suction seats 28 parallel to axis 27 and equally spaced about the periphery of roller 24 with the same spacing as seats 16.

In addition to roller 24, unit 25 also comprises a feedbox 29 located substantially on the opposite side of roller 24 to roller 13, and designed to house a mass M of cigarettes 2 fed to input 30 at the top of feedbox 29 by a reloading device 31 forming part of unit 25. Device 31 is located between input 30 of feedbox 29 and roller 20, and is controlled by control system 26 - as a function of signals supplied to control system 26 by two sensors 32, 33 for respectively detecting the maximum and minimum levels of cigarettes 2 inside feedbox 29 so as to remove such a sequence of cigarettes 2 from roller 20 that output succession 10 presents one or more gaps 12 all in time with machine 4.

More specifically, device 31 comprises an input roller 34 tangent to roller 20 at a station 35, where cigarettes 2 are either removed from roller 20 by roller 34 or loaded by roller 20 on to conveyor 21, depending on whether control system 26 activates a known suction device 36 on roller 34 or a known suction device 37 on conveyor 21.

Roller 34 rotates clockwise (in Figure 2) about an axis 38 parallel to axes 18 and 22, so as to successively deposit cigarettes 2 inside respective seats 39 on the top delivery branch 40 of an endless horizontal conveyor 41 operating clockwise (in Figure 2) and having its input end tangent to roller 34, and its output end over input 30 of feedbox 29.

At the bottom, feedbox 29 presents a number of substantially vertical channels 42, each of which, as shown in Figures 3 to 8, is so sized transversely as to house a stack 43 of cigarettes 2 parallel to axis 27, and comprises a straight portion 44 extending towards the periphery of roller 24 and housing stack 43, and a curved end portion 45 blending with the output end of portion 44 and having an output 46 facing and substantially tangent to the periphery of roller 24.

As shown in Figure 3, each curved end portion 45 is defined outwards by a curved wall 47 extending about a cylindrical body 48 of a respective withdrawal unit 49, which provides for successively extracting cigarettes 2 from portion 44 of channel 42, and feeding them along end portion 45 and out through output 46 into empty seats 28 on roller 24 at a transfer station 50, so as to eliminate any vacancies 9 in succession 7.

Cylindrical body 48 of each unit 49 is rotated about its axis 51, parallel to axis 27 and coplanar with the axes of cigarettes 2 in stack 43, by a drive 52 which comprises a shaft 53 coaxial with axis 51 and made integral, at one end, with body 48 by means of a plate 54; a first elliptical driven gear 55 fitted to an end portion of shaft 53 and rotating anticlockwise in Figure 3; and a second elliptical gear 56 meshing with gear 55 and fitted to a shaft 57 parallel to shaft 53 and which is the output shaft of a motor 58 controlled by system 26 so as to rotate gear 56 clockwise in Figure 3.

Body 48 presents two circumferential grooves 59 separated by a distance smaller than the length of cigarettes 2, and each of which is engaged by the outwardly-tapering end portion of a respective fixed horizontal blade 60 extending f acing the output end of portion 44 of channel 42, f or retaining cigarettes 2 inside channel 42.

As shown in Figures 4 to 8, body 48 also presents two circumferential grooves 61, each extending over an arc of roughly 1800 about axis 51 and adjacent to a respective groove 59, and each housing a respective curved pawl 62, a f irst end of which is f itted to a drive shaft 63 parallel to axis 51 and common to both pawls 62, and a second end of which defines a face seat 64 designed, in use, to laterally engage cigarette 2. Shaft 63 is connected to body 48 in rotary and axially-fixed manner, and is oscillated about its axis, via a crank mechanism 65, by a magnetic actuator 66 supported on plate 54 and connected to control system 26 by two brushes 67 f itted to shaft 53, so as to move pawls 62, in relation to body 48, between a withdrawn idle position (Figure 4) wherein pawls 62 lie inside respective grooves 61, and an extracted operating position (Figures 5 to 8) wherein pawls 62 are moved partly outside respective grooves 61 and, for given angular positions of body 48 about axis 51, are positioned with respective seats 64 inside the curved end portion 45 of respective channel 42.

Operation of device 6 will now be described as of a normal operating condition wherein all of seats 28 on roller 24 are empty except for that in station 23, and pawls 62 of the unit 49 considered are in the idle 9 position.

As of the above condition, when a presence/absence sensor 68 associated with roller 14 and connected to control system 26 detects the presence and location, for example, of a vacancy 9 in succession 7, which would subsequently result in a corresponding vacancy 9 on roller 13 and, hence, in an empty seat 16 on roller 13, sensor 68 supplies a signal to control system 26 which, by means of a phase sensor 69 associated with roller 24, determines which seat 28 on roller 24 (hereinafter referred to as the "corresponding seat 2811) would travel through station 23 simultaneously with said empty seat 16. At the same time, by means of a series of sensors 70, control system 26 determines which unit 49 is capable of feeding a cigarette 2 into the "corresponding seat 2811 as this passes through respective station 50; and subsequently, again with the aid of sensor 69, enables a procedure whereby a cigarette 2 is transferred by the selected unit 49 into the "corresponding seat 2811 at station 50.

Before going on to described the transfer procedure, it should be pointed out that each motor 58 rotates respective body 48 in such a manner that respective seats 64 travel through respective station 50 in time with seats 28. In other words, for each step of roller 24, seats 64 perform a complete turn about respective axes 51 commencing from respective stations 50. Alternatively, if units 49 are IW' in number (in the example shown, IW' equals five), each step of roller 24 corresponds to a 1/k turn of seats 64 about respective axes 51, so that each seat 64 travels through respective station 50 simultaneously with every k-th seat 28.

In connection with drives 52, it should be pointed out that respective elliptical gears 55 and 56 impart to respective bodies 48 a variable angular speed, which is maximum, and more specifically equal to the traveling speed of seats 28, as respective seats 64 pass through respective stations 50, and is minimum as respective seats 64 pass the ends of straight portions. 44 of respective channels 42.

The aforementioned transfer procedure commences upon control system 26 receiving a signal emitted by a seat-counting sensor 71 associated with roller 24, and indicating the instant in which the "corresponding seat 2811 is located at such a distance upstream from station 50 of the selected unit 49 as to enable the respective seat 64 to perf orm roughly one and a half turns about respective axis 51 prior to reaching station 50-together with the "corresponding seat 2811.

The transfer procedure is effected as follows.

To begin with (Figure 4), the two pawls 62 of the selected unit 49 are in the withdrawn idle position inside respective grooves 61, and pass (cyclestart position) with seats 64 beneath the end of portion 44 of respective channel 42 upon respective actuator 66 being supplied with an enabling signal by control system 26 via brushes 67, at which point pawls 62 are moved by respective shaft 63 into the extracted operating position. This displacement occurs during the first turn of respective body 48 about respective axis 51 as of the cycle-start position, so that seats 64 are in the extracted position when they again reach the base of portion 44 of respective channel 42. As they are rotated further, seats 64, in the extracted position, penetrate inside portion 44 through respective lateral openings 72 formed in respective channel 42, and laterally engage, at minimum speed, the cigarette 2 resting on blades 60, so as to release it from blades 60 and feed it along end portion 45 and through output 46 into the "corresponding seat 2811 at station 50. Said cigarette 2 is then retained by suction inside the "corresponding seat 2811 and fed into the respective empty seat 16 at reintegrating station 23.

once. cigarette 2 has been withdrawn by the selected unit 49, pawls 62 are restored to the withdrawn idle position.

The above transfer procedure is repeated for each successive vacancy 9 detected by sensor 68, and until sensor 33 detects the need to reload feedbox 29, and supplies a signal to control system 26, which activates device 31 so as to withdraw, from succes.sion 10 supplied to roller 20, a sequence of groups 5 in time with machine 4, and feed the groups 5 to feedbox 29 until it is fully reloaded as detected by sensor 32.

The withdrawal of said groups 5 from succession 10 results in the formation, in succession 10, of one or more gaps 12, which are synchronized with machine 4 and absorbed by machine 4 performing a given number of complete no-load cycles in which it produces either nothing or as many empty packets.

Claims (1)

1) A device for transferring products particularly cigarettes, from a manufacturing machine to a grouping machine f in particular a packing machine, operating in time with each other; the grouping machine being designed to form the products into groups of 'In" products each; and the device comprising first input feed means with first seats for respective products in a first succession of products possibly presenting randomly distributed vacancies second output feed means with second seats for respective products in a second succession of products, said second feed means being arranged in series with said first feed means and means for reintegrating said vacancies characterized by the fact that said reintegrating means, comprise a feedbox with at least one output for said products withdrawal means for successively feeding the products in said f eedbox to said output; reloading means for emptying sequences of 'In" consecutive said second seats (20a). in time with the grouping machine and for feeding the respective products to said feedbox and transfer means f or successively transferring products. from said output to respective said first seats and so eliminating corresponding said vacancies 2) A device as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by the fact that said feedbox presents at least one output channel for an orderly stack of products said output being the output of said output channel 3) A device as claimed in Claim 2,characterized by the fact that the output channel comprises a first portion for housing said orderly stack of products and an end portion whereby single products in said stack are f ed to the output by said withdrawal means 4) A device as claimed in Claim 3,characterized by the fact that the withdrawal means comprise at least one movable push member for successively engaging the products in said stack movable supporting means for said push member; first actuating means for cyclically moving the push member along a path, at least the operating portion of which is parallel to said end portion; and second actuating means for moving the push member in relation to said movable supporting means 11 to and from an operating position; the operating portion of said path extending along said end portion when the push member is in said operating position.

5) A device as claimed in Claim 4, characterized by the fact that said end portion is a curved portion extending about an axis the movable supporting means comprising a cylindrical body coaxial with said axis and rotated about said axis by said first actuating means 6) A device as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, characterized by the fact that the operating portion of said path traveled by the push member in said operating position intersects the first portion of said output channel, and extends along said end portion and through said output; the f irst actuating means comprising a drive with elliptical gears designed to impart to the push member a variable speed which is minimum when the push member intersects the first portion of said output channel 7) A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized by the fact that the transfer means are substantially tangent to said output and said first feed means J, and present third seats traveling at a speed equal to that of said first seats and to the speed of the push member - at said output 8) A device for transferring products, particularly cigarettes, from a manufacturing machine to a grouping machine, particularly a packing machine, substantially as described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.