US2854538A

US2854538A - Means for detecting defects in cigarette assemblies

Info

Publication number: US2854538A
Application number: US506988A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lars E Bergman
Original assignee: Arenco AB
Current assignee: Arenco AB
Priority date: 1954-05-24
Filing date: 1955-05-09
Publication date: 1958-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1975-09-30

Description

p 3 1958 L. E. BERGMAN 2,854,538

MEANS FOR DETECTING DEFECTS IN CIGARETTE ASSEMBLIES Filed May 9, 1955 MEANS FOR DETEQTING DEFECTS 1N CIGARETTE ASSEMBLIES Lars E. Bergman, Djursholm, Sweden, assignor to Arenco Alktiebolag, Stockholm, Sweden, a Swedish joint-stock company Application May 9, 1955, Serial No. 506,988

Claims priority, application Sweden May 24, 1954 tllainis. (Cl. 200--61.41)

This invention relates to means for detecting defects in assemblies of cigarettes to be wrapped in cigarette packaging machines and it is an object of the'invention to provide improved means for such purpose by detecting defects in or lack of any cigarette in each assembly to actuate an electrically operable control device whereby an alarm, or assembly discarding or removing device will be operated.

Another object of the invention consists in the reduction of the inertia of certain movable feeler members of said detecting means whereby injury of the delicate cigarettes will be obviated.

Still another object of the invention consists in the provision of electrically conductive means for said purpose operating unaffected of uncontrolled electric resistances in sliding guide surfaces for said feeler members.

A further object of the invention consists in the utilization of feeler control springs as electric conductors to simplify the construction and reduce the costs of manuf-acture of the detecting apparatus.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned, in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view of an apparatus embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of a feeler member and its associated helical spring.

Referring to Figure l of the drawing, showing one feeler pin 1 only in the apparatus assumed to comprise twenty feeler pins and associated members, said pins, consisting of a light dielectric, that is electrically nonconductive material, for example plastic material, are slidably mounted in bores 9 in a box- 2 consisting of dielectric material. and forming part of a cigarette packaging machine. Each pin 1 is enclosed by a tapered helical compression spring 3 of steel or another metal. The smaller end So of the spring 3 is screwed ona threaded portion 80 of the pin 1 and it has an annular flange 4 consisting of one or several convolutions. At its butt end the spring 3 rests against a metal plate 5 which is secured to the inside of the rear Wall of the box 2 and has a boss projecting into said end of the spring.

The box 2 is mounted on a base plate 20 upon which it is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the pins 1 and it is connected by a link 6 to an eccentric pin 8 on a disc 7 which is secured to a continuously rotating drive shaft 11 mounted in a bearing bracket 12 secured to the base plate 20.

Assemblies, for example open ended packages, containing in the assumed case twenty cigarettes, are introduced into metal pockets 13 in a conveyor advancing stepwise on the plate 20 to move said pockets successively transversely to the longitudinal directions of the pins 1 into a position right in front of the box 2 with the open ends exposed to the pins.

nited States Patent 0 Patented Sept. 30, 1958 Secured to the inside of the front wall of the box 2 is a metal plate 19 which is electrically connected to'a contact pin 14 positioned opposite to another contact pin 15 secured to a stationary metal contact rail 16 engaging the metal pockets 13 passing below same. The

metal plate Sand contact pin 15 are interconnected by an electric conductor includinga source of current 17 and an incandescent lamp 18.

When the box 2 is in its rearposition (to the .left in Figure 1) the flanges 4 of all the springs .3 are in engagement with the metal plate 19 but the contact between the pins 14 and .15 is broken. When the box 2 with its feeler pins 1 is advanced, that is moved to the right in Figure 1, towards the pocket 13 the pins 1 will abut the-ends of the oppositely disposed cigarettes C in the assembly or openended-cigarette package in said pocket. Thereby the pins 1 will be arrested so that the flanges 4 of the springs 3' aremoved-out of contact'with the metal plate 19 .whereby the circuit including the lamp '18 remains open when the pin 14 contacts the pin 15.

But if any cigarettein the assembly, or package,-is missing or is so soft that feeler pin 1 which is located: right opposite to said defective cigarette, or to the gap where a cigarette is missing, will continue forwardly together with the box 2 so that the contact between the flange'4 and the metal plate 19 will remain closed. If r the cigarette C is too short, as indicated in a dash andTdot line in Figure 1, it cannot arrest the oppositely'disposed advancing pin l-but the flange 4 will remainin contact with the plate 19 when: the pins314- and. 15 abut each other. In such case the lamp 18-Will-be lighted to indicate, that the package is defectiveandis to be removed from the correctpackages. The lamp. 18 may be replaced by another control device, for example-abell or an electrically operated device for removingtherdefectivepackages automatically.

For the purpose of reducing {the stockof spare parts for rebuilding the apparatus t0? accommodate to variously sized packages it might:be' usufiicient 'to change the distance between the pins as well as their relative positions by exchanging that portion. of the-box 2 which has the bores9 whereby the center lines of the-pins 1 and their associated springs 2 might; be slightly ofi set relative to each other.

I claim:

1. In detecting meansfor usein cigarette assembling and packaging apparatus, saididetecting means comprising a pocket receiving an assembly of cigarettes, a pin carrier, a plurality of feeler pins slidably mounted .in said carrier and consisting of an electrically non-conductive material and corresponding in number to the, intended number of cigarettes in the assembly thereof in said pocket, each pinbeing provided withan'abutment, a helical electro-conductive metal spring encompassing each feeler pin and each having a, front, endengaging said abutment of one of said pins, respectively, said carrier having rear and front electro-conductive metal abutment supporting the rear and front ends of said springs respectively, means for periodically relatively moving said casing and said pocket towards each other, each of said springs being sufficiently soft, that when its corresponding pin yields by engaging a cigarette in said pocket, as to be compressed by said pin to make its front end yield away from said front electro-conductive abutment, and

electrical contact means on said pocket and said carrier respectively, relatively located to engage each other when moved toward each other.

2. In detecting means for use in cigarette assembling and packaging apparatus, said detecting means comprising a pocket receiving an assembly of cigarettes, a pin carrier, a plurality of feeler pins slidably mounted in said carrier and consisting of an electrically non-conductive material and corresponding in number to the intended number of cigarettes in the assembly thereof in said pocket and each said pin having a freely projecting end for abutting a cigarette in said pocket, each of said pins having spring engaging means, a helical electro-conductive metal spring encompassing each feeler pin and each having a front end portion engaging with said spring engaging means of one of said pins, respectively, said carrier having a rear electro-conductive metal abutment supporting the rear ends of said springs and a front electroconductive metal abutment engaged by the front end of each spring, means slidably guiding said pins and located between said front abutment and said freely projecting ends of said pins, means for periodically and relatively moving said pin carrier and said pocket toward each other, said springs being sufliciently soft, that, when its corresponding pin yields by engaging a cigarette in said pocket as to be'compressed by said pin to make its front end yield away from said front abutment and thereby to prevent the establishment of e'lectro-conductive contact between said respective springs and said front metal abutment of said carrier, and electrical contact means on said pocket and said carrier respectively, relatively located to engage each other when moved to ward each other.

3. In detecting means for use in cigarette assembling and packaging apparatus, said detecting means comprising a pocket receiving an assembly of cigarettes, a carrier, a plurality of feeler pins slidably mounted in said carrier and consisting of an electrically non-conductive light-weight material and corresponding in number to the intended number of cigarettes in the assembly thereof in said pocket, and said pins each having an end portion projecting freely from said carrier for abutting a cigarette in said pocket, a tapered helical metal spring enclosing each feeler pin and having a narrowed front end fixedly engaging one of said pins, respectively, and a rear butt end, said carrier having a rear electro-conductive metal abutment engaging said butt ends of said springs and a front electro-conductive metal abutment for engaging the front end of each said spring, said carrier having means slidably guiding said pins and located only between said front electro-conductive abutment and said freely projecting ends of said pins, means for periodically and relatively moving said pin carrier and said pocket towards each other, said springs being sufficiently soft, that, when a pin yields by engaging a cigarette in said pocket, as to be compressed by said pin to make its front end stay away from said front electro-conductive abutment and thereby to prevent the establishment of a closed circuit through said spring, and electrical contact means on said pocket and said carrier respectively, relatively located to engage each other when moved toward each other.

4. In detecting means for use in cigarette assembling and packaging apparatus, said detecting means comprising a pocket receiving an assembly of cigarettes, a detecting pin carrier, a plurality of feeler pins slidably mounted in said carrier and consisting of an electrically non-conductive material and the number of said pins corresponding to the intended number of cigarettes in the assembly thereof in said pocket, each said pin having an end freely projecting from said carrier for abutting a cigarette in said pocket, a tapered helical metal spring enclosing each feeler pin and having a narrowed front end portion screwed to its said pin, respectively, and having a rear butt end, said carrier havig a rear electroconductive metal abutment supporting said butt ends of said springs and a front electro-conductive metal abutment for supporting the front end of each said spring, said carrier having means slidably guiding said pins, said means being located only between said front abutment and said freely projecting ends of said pins, means for periodically moving said carrier and said pocket relatively towards each other, said spring being so soft, that, when a pin yields by engaging a cigarette in said pocket, it is compressed by said pin to make its front end yield away from said front electro-conductive abutment, and electrical contact means on said pocket and said carrier respectively, relatively located to engage each other when moved toward each other.

5. In detecting means for use in cigarette assembling and packaging apparatus, said detecting means comprising a pocket receiving an assembly of cigarettes, a detection pin carrier, a plurality of feeler pins slidably mounted in said carrier and consisting of an electrically non-conductive material and corresponding in number to the intended number of cigarettes in the assembly thereof in said pocket, and each said pin having an end freely projecting from said carrier for abutting a cigarette in said pocket, a tapered helical metal spring enclosing each feeler pin and having a narrowed front end fixedly engaging one of said pins, respectively, and having a rear butt end, said carrier having a rear metal abutment engagingly supporting said butt ends of said springs and a front metal abutment engagingly supporting the front end of each said spring, said carrier having means slidably guiding said pins and being located only between said front abutment and said freely projecting ends of said pins, means for periodically and relatively moving said pin carrier and said pocket towards each other, said spring being so soft that when a pin yields by engaging a cigarette in said pocket, it is compressed by said pin to make its front end yield away from said front electroconductive abutment, said narrowed end of each said spring having a convolution forming an annular flange adapted to form a contact member abutting said front electro-conductive abutment of said carrier, an electrical contact means on said pocket and said carrier respectively, relatively located to engage each other when moved toward each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS