GB2321440A - Tobacco article transferring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A unit for transferring tobacco articles (2) from a fixed pickup station (20) to an unloading station (21), wherein a roller (32), rotating about a respective axis (34) and movable along a circular path (P2) having a portion extending through the pickup station (20), has a base cylinder (38) coaxial with the axis (34), and a number of seats (36) located tangent to and outside the base cylinder (38); and a guide plate (46) travels with the pickup roller (32) along the circular path (P2) to guide the tobacco articles (2) from the fixed pickup station (20) to the seats (36), and has an appendix (47) extending at least partly across the base cylinder (38). The tobacco articles (2) may be cigarettes.

Description

1 2321440 UNIT FOR TRANSFERRING TOBACCO ARTICLES The present invention

relates to a unit for transferring tobacco articles.

In particular, the present invention relates to a unit for transferring cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a unit of the type comprising supply means for supplying cigarettes to a number of adjacent supply locations arranged in a row; extracting means movable along a path adjacent to, and for receiving the cigarettes at, said supply locations; and transfer means for receiving the cigarettes from said extracting means and transferring them to an unloading station; said extracting means comprising at least one pickup roller movable along said path and in turn comprising at least two coaxial, axially-spaced half rollers grooved to define on the pickup roller a number of longitudinal seats for the cigarettes, and guide -means movable with the pickup roller along said path to control transfer of the cigarettes from said supply means into said seats.

A unit of the above type is described in Patent Application WO-A-9521771, which relates to a transfer unit for transferring at least one layer of cigarettes from a fixed pickup station, defined by the bottom opening of a hopper outlet, to an unloading station inside a conveyor pocket moving continuously along a given conveying path.

The transfer unit in the above application comprises a supply device for feeding the layer of cigarettes to the unloading station, and which in turn comprises a first and second transfer roller tangent to each other at a transfer station, and the second roller of which is also tangent to the unloading station. The unit also comprises a pickup device, in turn comprising a number of pickup rollers equally spaced about the first roller and movable along a respective path extending about the first roller and through the pickup and transfer stations.

The cigarettes are fed by gravity to the pickup station along channels in the hopper, which converge towards the bottom opening of the hopper outlet.

Along their path, the pickup rollers alternate with guide plates movable with the pickup rollers along the path, and which provide for guiding the cigarettes towards respective pickup rollers; and the cigarettes are fed by gravity and in columns along the respective channels to the bottom opening of the hopper outlet, and are fed out of the channels in controlled manner by the - 3 guide plates. In other words, and as described in more detail later on, as the pickup rollers and guide plates travel along said path, phases in which the cigarettes are guided out of the respective channels, as the guide plates travel past the pickup station, alternate with phases in which the cigarettes are picked up, as the pickup rollers travel past the pickup station.

Known transfer units of the above type have several drawbacks, in that, as explained in more detail later on, each cigarette during pickup is subjected to a force in opposition to the force of gravity, thus slowing down travel of the cigarettes along the respective channel and so limiting the output of the unit as a whole.

It is an object of the present invention to provide & straightforward, low-cost transfer unit of the above type, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

According to the present invention, there is provided a unit for transferring tobacco articles, the unit comprising supply means for supplying the articles to a number of adjacent supply locations arranged in a row; extracting means movable along a path adjacent to said supply locations to receive said articles at the supply locations; and transfer means for receiving said articles from said extracting means and transferring the articles to an unloading station; said extracting means comprising at least one pickup roller. rotating about a first axis, movable along said path, and grooved to def ine on the pickup roller a number of longitudinal seats for said articles, and guide means movable with the pickup roller along said path to control transfer of said articles from said supply means into said seats; said pickup roller having a base cylinder coaxial with the first axis and of a length substantially equal to the length of said articles; and said seats being located tangent to and outside the base cylinder; the unit being characterized in that at least a portion of said guide means extends at least partly across the base cylinder.

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 front view, with parts removed for clarity, of a preferred embodiment of the unit according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a detail of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a view in perspective, with parts removed for clarity, of the Figure 2 detail; Figures 4 and 5 show a known embodiment of the Figure 2 detail in two different operating positions.

Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates a transfer unit for transferring cigarettes 2 from a hopper 3 to a pocket conveyor 4 moving continuously in a given direction D1 along a given straight conveying path Pl. Conveyor 4 comprises a succession of substantially U-shaped pockets 5, each for housing at least one layer 6 of cigarettes 2, and for feeding layer 6 along path P1 crosswise to the respective axes of cigarettes 2; and each pocket 5 comprises a bottom wall 7 connected integrally to a conveyor belt 8 of conveyor 4, and two walls 9 and 10 crosswise to direction D1 and each having a central, substantially rectangular recess 5a (only recess Sa of wall 10 shown in Figure 1) for the purpose described later on.

Hopper 3 is located over conveyor 4, and has an outlet 11 comprising a number of substantially vertical side by side channels 12 defined laterally by a number of substantially vertical partitions 13 between two lateral walls 14 of outlet 11, and each of which provides for feeding a respective continuous column 15 of cigarettes 2 downwards by force of gravity. Partitions 13 and lateral walls 14 are defined at the bottom by respective tapered ends 16 and 17 defining a bottom opening 18 through which cigarettes 2 are fed out of outlet 11, and which are located at different heights along a given sector of a cylinder 19.

Unit 1 is located between a pickup station 20 defined by opening 18 of outlet 11, and an unloading station 21 where a layer 6 is deposited inside a pocket 5.

Unit 1 comprises a pickup device 22 for withdrawing a succession of cigarettes 2 along opening 18 of outlet 11 and so detaching a layer 6 of cigarettes 2 from the cigarettes 2 inside outlet 11; and a supply device 23 for successively receiving layers 6 from device 22 and feeding layers 6 to unloading station 21.

Supply device 23 comprises a transfer roller 24 rotating continuously about a horizontal axis 25 in a clockwise direction 26 in Figure 1, and in turn comprising a number of suction seats 27 parallel to the axes of cigarettes 2 and to axis 25. More specifically, roller 24 is shorter in length than cigarettes 2, so as to retain cigarettes 2 inside seats 27 by cooperating with a central portion of each cigarette 2, and is located between the opening 18 of outlet 11 and unloading station 21.

Device 23 also comprises a further transfer roller 28 rotating continuously, in an anticlockwise direction 30 in Figure 1, about a horizontal axis 29 parallel to axis 25, and in turn comprising a number of suction seats 31 parallel to the longitudinal axes of cigarettes 2 and to axis 29. More specifically, roller 28 is shorter in length than cigarettes 2 so as to retain cigarettes 2 inside seats 31 by cooperating with a central portion of each cigarette 2, and is located between roller 24 and unloading station 21. Roller 28 receives cigarettes 2 from roller 24, and subsequently engages recesses 5a in respective walls 9 and 10 of pocket 5 to release the cigarettes gradually inside pocket 5.

Pickup device 22 comprises a number of pickup rollers 32 smaller in diameter than roller 24, and equally spaced about roller 24 along a circular path P2 coaxial with axis 25 of roller 24. As shown in Figure 3, each roller 32 comprises a pair of half rollers 33 rotating continuously about a common axis 34 parallel to axis 25, and in an anticlockwise direction 35 in Figure 1; and the half rollers 33 of each roller 32 comprise respective cradle-shaped seats 36, each aligned with a corresponding seat 36 on the other half roller 33 to receive and retain a respective cigarette 2, so that each cigarette 2 is engaged by roller 32 close to the opposite ends of the cigarette, and the axis of cigarette 2 coincides with a generating line of a pitch cylinder 37 of roller 32. Moreover, seats 36 of each roller 32 are located outwards of a cylindrical surface 38 - hereinafter referred to as the "base cylinder 3811 which is coaxial with axis 34 of roller 32 and of a length equal to the length of cigarettes 2 conveyed by roller 32. A suction channel 39 terminates at the surface of each seat 36, and communicates with a suction device (not shown) via a known pneumatic distributor (not shown); and rollers 32 are supported for rotation by a train carrier (not shown) rotating continuously in direction 26 about axis 25 so that rollers 32 also revolve continuously about axis 25 in direction 26. By rotating about its own axis 34 and revolving about axis 25, each roller 32 rolls with its pitch cylinder 37 along a rolling path P3 defined by cylinder 19.

In the known embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, device 22 comprises a guide plate 40 interposed between paths P2 and P3 and defined by a curved outer guide surface 41 extending between two successive rollers 32 and of substantially the same curvature as cylinder 19. With reference to rotation direction 26, plate 40 also comprises a front and rear end 42, 43 having respective curved profiles 44a, 44b, formed in the thickness of plate 40 and located outwards of the base cylinders 38 of the respective adjacent rollers 32.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, known plate 40 is replaced by a guide plate 45 interposed between paths P2 and P3 and defined by a curved outer guide surface 46 extending between two successive rollers 32 and of substantially the same curvature as cylinder 19. Like plate 40, plate 45 comprises, in rotation direction 26, a front and rear end having respective curved profiles 45a, 45b formed in the thickness of plate 45 and located outwards of the base cylinders 38 of the respective adjacent rollers 32. Unlike plate 40, however, plate 45 also comprises an end portion or appendix 47 projecting from profile 45b in the opposite direction to direction 26, and extending between half rollers 33 of the adjacent roller 32 so as to intersect base cylinder 38 of roller 32, and so that the relative portion of surface 46 is tangent to the surface of base cylinder 38. More specifically. a free end of the portion of surface 46 extending along appendix 47 is substantially tangent to a generating 9 - line 48 of base cylinder 38; which generating line 48 is located between paths P2 and P3, and coincides with a line at which base cylinder 38 intersects a plane 49 defined by axis 25 and by axis 34 of roller 32 adjacent to profile 45b.

In the Figure 3 embodiment, each plate 45 is divided by a central gap 50 into two plates 51 and 52, which rotate, in known manner (not shown) in opposite directions about respective axes substantially parallel to gap 50, between a rest position R shown by the dash line in Figure 3 and in which plates 51 and 52 are positioned parallel to each other and outwards of respective half rollers 33, and a work position W in which plates 51 and 52 are coplanar and define guide surface 46.

In actual use, conveyor 4 travels continuously along path P1 at a given speed V1, and a drive shaft (not shown) rotates roller 24 about axis 25 in direction 26 at a surface speed equal to speed V1, and transmits motion (as described in Patent Application WO-A-9521771) to roller 28, which rotates about axis 29 in the opposite direction 30 to direction 26 and at a surface speed equal to speed V1 to transfer cigarettes 2 from roller 24 to roller 28. By means of a known epicyclic transmission with a fixed ring gear (as described in Patent Application WO-A-9521771) and comprising said known train carrier (not shown) supporting plates 45, said drive shaft (not shown) rotates plates 45 about axis 25 in direction 26, and at the same time rotates rollers 32 about respective axes 34 in the opposite direction to direction 26, and also at a given speed about axis 25 in direction 26, so that seats 36 are successively positioned facing respective channels 12 along opening 18 of outlet 11.

There now follows a description of the behaviour of a cigarette 2 hereinafter indicated 2a - on contacting surface 46 close to profile 45a of plate 45. At this stage, cigarette 2a is housed almost entirely inside respective channel 12 and outwards of cylinder 19. As plate 45 travels in direction 26, a central portion of cigarette 2a slides along surface 46, and cigarette 2a emerges gradually from respective channel 12, in the supply direction of channel 12, and gradually crosses over cylinder 19 into a position in which it is supported by the free end of surface 46 extending along appendix 47, and by a pair of seats 36 of pickup roller 32, which by this time are positioned, on either side of appendix 47, facing respective channel 12 and contacting the respective ends of cigarette 2a.

In this particular position, in which cigarette 2a is transferred from surface 46 to seats 36, the longitudinal axis of cigarette 2a is located both on cylinder 19 and in plane 49, and a generating line of seat 36 tangent to base cylinder 38 lies in plane 49.

As roller 32 is rotated and revolved further, cigarette 2a is retained inside seats 36 by respective suction channels 39, and is detached from surface 46 in a direction tangent to base cylinder 38 and to surface 46, so that cigarette 2a retained on roller 32 undergoes no displacement contrary to the supply direction of channel 12 from which it emerges.

In the known embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5, on the other hand, cigarette 2a is transferred from plate 40 to seats 36 upstream from plane 49, so that, along the path portion between the Figure 4 transfer position and the Figure 5 position in which the longitudinal axis of cigarette 2a lies in plane 49, cigarette 2a undergoes a displacement 11d11 contrary to the supply direction inside respective channel 12. As cigarette 2a at this stage is still partly housed inside channel 12, displacement 11d11 contrary to the supply direction of cigarettes 2 inside channel 12 causes a reduction in the downward speed of cigarettes 2 in column 15 above cigarette 2a, and hence a reduction in the output capacity of the unit as a whole.

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Claims (7)

1) A unit for transferring tobacco articles, the unit comprising supply means for supplying the articles to a number of adjacent supply locations arranged in a row; extracting means movable along a path adjacent to said supply locations to receive said articles at the supply locations; and transfer means for receiving said articles from said extracting means and transferring the articles to an unloading station; said extracting means comprising at least one pickup roller rotating about a first axis, movable along said path, and grooved to define on the pickup roller a number of longitudinal seats for said articles, and guide means movable with the pickup roller along said path to control transfer of said articles from said supply means into said seats; said pickup roller having a base cylinder coaxial with the first axis and of a length substantially equal to the length of said articles; and said seats being located tangent to and outside the base cylinder; the unit being characterized in that at least a portion of said guide means extends at least partly across the base cylinder.

2) A unit as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said transfer means comprise a transfer roller rotating about 2 second axis to receive said articles from the pickup roller; said path extending about said transfer roller; and the first axis being parallel to the second axis, and defining, with the second axis, a given plane.

3) A unit as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said guide means comprise an outer guide surface substantially tangent to the base cylinder at a generating line of the base cylinder.

4) A unit as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that said generating line of the base cylinder lies in said plane.

5) A unit as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said portion of said guide means comprises a free end tangent to said generating line.

6) A unit as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims from 1 to 5, characterized in that the pickup roller comprises at least two coaxial, axially-spaced half rollers; said portion being located between said half rollers.

7) A unit for transferring tobacco articles, substantially as described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.