US3010561A

US3010561A - Filter mouthpiece cigarette making machines

Info

Publication number: US3010561A
Application number: US840153A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ricke Erwin
Original assignee: Koerber & Co KG
Current assignee: Koerber & Co KG; Kurt Korber & Co K G
Priority date: 1957-12-26
Filing date: 1959-09-15
Publication date: 1961-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1961 E. RICKE 3,010,561

FILTER MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WI U} M M I U/ LL? 7 l L U\ Nov. 28, 1961 E. RICKE 3,010,561

FILTER MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United Smtes Patent Ofiice 3,010,551 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 The present invention relates to improvements in cigarette making machines, and more particularly to an apparatus for dividing, staggering and orienting r lter bodies so that they may be fed in a single line and united with the ends of spaced apart cigarettes. The present application is adivision of US. application, Serial Number 705,363, filed December 26, 1957, for Filter Mouth piece Cigarette lvlaking Machines.

- One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for severing, dividing and feeding multi-leugths of cigarette rod equal to a predetermined number of double length filter tip units so that the double length filter tip units will be arranged and fed in a single line to a filter tip cigarette makin machine and between spaced apart cigarettes.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for cutting a predetermined length of cigarette rod to form a plurality of double length filter units which are staggered after being cut and then arranged or oriented in such a manner that the double length filter units will be fed in a single line along a pathway transverse to the axis of the filter unit mouthpiece.

Another ob ect is to provide an apparatus in which filter rods of a predetermined length are fed to a rotating member and then severed so that the severed portions may be displaced a small angular distance clockwise and counterclockwise, while an intermediate cut portion of the rod remains on the rotary member. The circumferentially moved portions of the filter rod being thus arranged in a staggered relation are brought into registery with grooves in the rotary member, and are then shifted in an axial direction to be deposited in said grooves and fed in a single line to a point where they are deposited on the drum of a cigarette making machine and disposed between the inner spaced ends of the cigarette rod sections.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for staggering double length filter units on a rotary carrier by depositing a length .of filter rod on the carrier equal in length to a plurality of double filter units and to deposit the rod in every third groove in the rotary carrier so that after the rod is cut into three sections to form three double length filter units, the endmost units may be shifted in a direction lateral to their longitudinal axis so that they may be disposed in axial alignment with vacant grooves in the rotary carrier and then moved axially into said grooves to completely fill all of the grooves in the rotary carrier, and arrange the double length filter units in a single line for being fed and deposited between the inner ends of cigarette rods on a cigarette making machine.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which is used for staggering rod-shaped objects such as cigarette mouthpiece filter bodies, and in which rods of a multiple standard length are cut into sections of double standard length. After the filter rod is thus cut, the double length filter units are staggered so that they are disposed one after another and are then moved axially by means of circularly arranged guide blades which move the endmost portions of the rod after being cut into vacant grooves in the apparatus such that the double length filter units will be conveyed and fed one after another in a single straight line.

Another object is to provide an apparatus in which the filter conveying drum is also employed for feeding the filter mouthpiece units to the'cigarette making machine which usually includes a drum having grooves for re-' predetermined length after the same has been deposited.

or fed to the rotary carrier.-

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus for staggering the filter rod sections after they have been cut by a rotary disc. 7 7

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the filter rod units are deposited in every third groove of the rotary carrier, and showing the manner in which they are staggered after being cut to be displaced andoccupy the vacant grooves in the rotary carrier. i 7

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of one station along the'circuitous pathway which has been projected as shown in FIGURE 2 to illustrate the position of the filter rod section after it has been cut on opposite sides of the rotary carrier to form three filter units with each unit equal in length to a double filter unit. 1

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the outermost filter rod sections of double length are moved circumferentially clockwise. and counter-clockwise in a staggered order.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the end portions of the cut filter rod are displaced axially after being staggered to position the same in a straight line one behind the other. 7

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a filte rod of predetermined length deposited on the carrier after the cut lengths of double filter units have been fed to the cigarette making machine and deposited between the inner adjacent ends of a pair of axially spaced cigarettes.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the apparatus showing the rotary carrier and one set of transfer arms in a position assumed at the feeding station where lengths of filter rod of predetermined length are 'fed to the rotary carrier. i

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rotary carrier similar to FIGURE 7, but showing the set of transfer arms moved clockwise and counter-clockwise to dispose and position the outer Sections of the filter rod so that they will be aligned with vacant grooves ahead of and in back of the groove in the rotary carrier in which the filter rod of predetermined length is initially seated, and

FIGURE 9 is a radial cross-sectional view on line 99 of FIGURE 7 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating various structural parts of the carrier and transfer arms In the drawings, and more in detail, attention is first directed to FIGURES 1 to 6 inclusive wherein there is shown diagrammatically an embodiment of the invention including a rotary drum body or disc 17 mounted to rotate about a shaft 44. The peripheral surface of the rotary disc 17 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves 16 which are diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 1 and shown structurally in FIGURES 7 to 9 inclusive. Arranged between the peripheral grooves 16 and likewise equidistantly spaced and circumferentially arranged with respect to the grooves 16 are grooves 30 and e 31. The

grooves

30 and 31 are shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 1, and illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 as being arranged so that the groove 30 is on the left hand side of the groove 16, while the groove 31 is on the opposite side. The

grooves

16, 30 and 31 are arranged around the periphery of the disc or drum body 17 and filter rod units of a predetermined length equal to a plurality of double length mouthpiece units arefed to every third groove 16 by means of a feed chute 50 of a well known type diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 1. As shown in FIGURE 1 the filter rods of predetermined length are designated at 2 and are fed to the left hand side of the drum 17 where they are effectively deposited in the grooves 16. Thus, a filter rod of a predetermined length equal to a plurality of double length filter mouthpieces is inserted and deposited into each of the grooves 16, but are not deposited in the

grooves

30 and 31.

Pivoted to the disc or drum 17 is a plurality of radially arranged

transfer arms

20 and 21 diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 1 which are rockably mounted on pins 22- and 23, and arranged to swing in opposite directions toward and away from the grooved portion 16. The transfer arms are arranged in circumferentially spaced relation and, extend radially with their end portions provided with

grooves

18 and 19 diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 1. The

transfer arms

20 and 21 are provided with bell crank levers 24 and 25 on the free ends of which is rotatably mounted

follower rollers

26 and 27. The follower rollers engage

cam discs

28 and 29 respectively fixed on the shaft 44- with respect to the .rotary disc 17. It will be noted from an inspection of FIGURE 1 that the

cam discs

28 and 29 are arranged with their lobes in substantially opposed relation so that when the disc 17 is traveling through a certain area, as for instance in the loading station area A, the

transfer lever sets

20 and 21 will be positioned with their

respective grooves

18 and 19 in axial alignment one with the other as well as the groove 16 so that the

grooves

18, 16 and 19 are in registry for receiving a filter rod of a predetermined length equal to a plurality of double length filter mouthpieces. As mentioned before, a filter mouthpiece rod is inserted in every third groove on the drum 17 and upon rotation of the drum 17 in a'manner which will be hereinafter fully described, the filter rod 2 is conveyed clockwise about the axis 44 and is moved toward a rotating pair of cutting discs 34 mounted on a suitable shaft 35 and arranged in spaced relation so that the peripheral edge may be rotated between the discs 34. When the disc 17 is moved between the cutting discs 34 in a clockwise direction the filter rods 2 are After the filter rod 2 has thus been cut to form threev double length filter mouthpiece units continued rotation of in FIGURE 1 in a direction of the arrows and toward the

grooves

30 and 31 on the disc 17 This movement occurs when the disc 17 has been angularly displaced approximately 90 and when the transfer arms reach a position slightly greater than 90 from the feeding stationA the

grooves

18 and 19 in the ends of the transfer arms will be aligned with the

grooves

30 and 31 arranged intermediate each groove 16. Upon further rotational movement of the drum 17 the transfer arms are maintained in the position above described and arcuately curved guide plates 32 and 33 (FIGURE 2) of well known construction are arranged on opposite sides of the disc 17 to shift the cut sections of the filter mouthpiece units in an axial direction so that they will be'moved into

vacant grooves

30 and 31 on the disc 17 from the position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 5. FIG- URE 2 illustrates the sequence of movements of the transfer arms beginning with the feed station A and then progrossing to the cutting station S. Upon further rotation of the disc 17 in a clockwise direction the cut sections are separated'as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 and are staggered so that when the cut sections carried by the

grooves

18 and 19 of the transfer guides 32 and 33 (FIGURES 2 and 9) the end-most cut sections will be moved into the

vacant grooves

30 and 31 on opposite sides of the groove 16 and will assume the position shown in FIGURE 5 after the outermost cut sections have been guided and moved axially by the arcuately curved guide strips 32 and 33 (FIGURES 2 and 9).

Upon continued rotation of the disc 17 in a clockwise direction the cut sections of the filter rod are thus arranged in a straight line along an arcuate path one behind the other and in this position will fall by gravity at the point CS (FIGURE 1) and be deposited in the grooves "arette making machine is not shown since it forms no part of the present invention.

It will thus be seen from FIGURE 1 that the

transfer arms

20 and 21 are arranged in circumferentially spaced sets and that after the cut lengths of filter rod have been deposited in the groove of a filter mouthpiece cigarette making machine that the transfer arms are again separated and moved together when approaching the'feeding station A. 7

Since each set of transfer arms are substantially identical in construction, a description of one set will suffice for all sets. Referring to FIGURES'7 to 9 inclusive, it will be seen that the disc 17 is rotatably mounted on the shaft '44 which may be broken away as illustrated with the broken away end attached to a machine frame structure. Connected to the shaft 44 is a bearing collar 52 which is held in place by means of a relatively long machine screw 53. A bearing sleeve 55 is mounted on the collar 52 and rotatably supports the hub portion of the disc 17. The hub portion is provided with a cylindrical extension 56 forming a pulley which maybe driven by a suitable belt drivingly connected to an electric motor not shown. An annular collar 57 is secured to the hub portion of the disc 17 by means of a machine screw and engages one wall of the disc 17 and is received in an annular groove 58 in the bearing collar 52. Thus, the disc 17 may be rotated about the fixed bearing collar 52 in a clockwise direction shown in FIGURE 1.

The bearing pin 22 for the transfer arm 20 (FIGURES 7. and 8) of each transfer arm set extends through a correspondingly shaped opening in the disc 17 and projects a slight distance on opposite sides thereof. The transfer arm 20 is secured to one end of the pin 22 by a suitable clamping screw (FIGURES 7 and 8), while the other end is provided with the bell crank arm 24 similarly held in place by a clamping screw. The follower rollers 26 are secured to the bell crank arms 24 by suitable bearing bolts and engage the peripheral edge of the cam 28. The transfer arm is provided with a projection 37 to which one end of a coil spring 35 is hooked as shown in FIG- URE 8. The other end of the coil spring 35 is attached to a suitable stud 39 fastened to the radial wall of the disc 17.

The other arm 21 of each set is pivoted to the disc 17 by means of a stud 23 and is clamped thereto by means of a clamping screw 43 similar to the clamping screw for retaining the transfer arm 20 on its corresponding stud 22. The bell crank arm 25 is integrated with the transfer arm 21 (FIGURE 9) and the free end thereof is provided with a suitable bearing pin for accommodating the rotary follower roller 27. The follower roller 27 rides upon its cooperating cam 29. A coil spring 36 has one of its hooked ends attached to a hook 38 secured to the transfer arm 21, while its opposite end is attached to a pin it? by being hooked thereover similar to the connection between the spring 35 and stud 39 previously described.

Secured to the bearing collar 52 by means of suitable machine screws 60 is the cam disc 28 which has its inner end seated on a shoulder or reduced portion 61 of the bearing collar 52. The cam disc 29 is integrated with the bearing collar 52 and is positioned to be engaged by the roller 27 rotatably mounted on the end of the bell crank arm 25.

Thus, it will be seen, that upon rotation of the disc 17 the

cams

28 and 29 are so shaped that as each set approaches a position substantially on a plane extending vertically from the axis 44 they will be moved to the position shown in FIGURE 7 in which the

grooves

16, 18 and 19 of the disc and respective transfer arms 20 and21 are in axial registry, and that upon further rotation of the disc 17 the

arms

20 and 21 of each set are moved in opposite directions against the tension of their respective coil springs 35 and 36 so that the

grooves

18 and 19 in the free ends thereof will register in axial alignment with the

peripheral grooves

30 and 31 in the disc 17. In order to limit swinging movement of the

transfer arms

20 and 21

stop members

41 and 42 in the form of screws or the like having enlarged heads are inserted in the radial wall of the disc 17. The stop screw 41 is intended to be engaged by the transfer arm 20 when the arm is moved so that its notch or groove 18 registers with the groove 30 and is moved to this position by the coil spring 35 when the follower roller 26 is permitted to move inwardly and during the period when it is moving away from its lobe in its cyclic motion. The transfer arm 21 being under the tension of the spring 36 is similarly limited in its movement by the stop screw 42 when the follower roller 27 moves away from its lobe and permits the spring 36 to rock the transfer arm 21 on its pivot pin 23 so that the groove 19 in the free end thereof is in axial registry with the groove 16 in the disc.

It will thus be seen that the

transfer arms

20 and 21 operate in sets and are yieldingly urged in a counterclockwise direction (FIGURES 7 and 8) and are moved in an opposite direction by the

cam follower rollers

26 and 27, and that during rotation of the disc 17 the transfer arms will move together to a position shown in FIG- URE 7 and will then move apart and away from one another in opposite directions until their

respective grooves

18 and 19 are in axial registry with the

vacant grooves

30 and 31.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention.

herewith shown and'described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

What I claim is:

l. Means for transferring an article from a position in alignment with a first axial groove in the circumference of a rotatably mounted drum to a second axial groove in said circumference which is circumferentially spaced from said first axial groove, comprising an arm, means securing said arm to said drum for pivotal movement about an axis parallel with the axis of the drum and spaced from said axis of the drum-and from said grooves, stop means secured to said drum in position to limit pivotal movement of said arm in one direction, a third groove in the end of said arm parallel with said first and second grooves, a lateral projection on said arm, cam follower means on said projection, stationary cam means in position for engagement with said cam fol-lower means, means associated with said arm biasing said arm towards engagement with said stop means, the length of said arm and the interrelation of said cam means, cam follower means and stop means being such as to align said third groove with said first groove when said arm is in engagement with said stop means and to cause said cam means to align said third groove with said second groove against the action of said biasing means during a phase of the rotation of the drum, and means for sliding an article disposed in said third groove into said second groove during said phase of the rotation of the drum.

2. Means for transferring an article from a position in alignment with a. first axial groove in the peripheral surface of a rotary drum to a second axial groove in said peripheral surface which is circumferentially spaced from said first axial groove, comprising an arm, means securing said arm to said drum for pivotal movement about an axis parallel with the axis of the drum, a third groove in the free end of said arm parallel with said first and second grooves, a projection on said arm, cam follower means on said projection, stationary cam means in engagement with said cam follower means, the length of said arm and the inter-relation of said cam means and cam follower means being such as to cause said third groove to be aligned with said first groove during one phase of the rotation of the drum'and with said second groove during a different phase of the rotation of the drum, and stationary means associated with said drum for sliding an'article from said third groove into saidsecond groove during said different phase of the rotation of the drum.

3. Transfer means as set forth in claim 2, in which said means for sliding an article from said third groove into said second groove comprises a member stationarily mounted adjacent to the periphery of the drum at the same end of the drum as said arm and having a surface inclined at an angle to the end surface of the drum so that, when the drum rotates, an article disposed in said third groove engages said inclined surface and is forced by the same into said second groove.

4. Means for transferring two articles from positions at opposite ends of a rotary drum and in alignment with a first axial groove in the peripheral surface of said drum to a second and third axial groove, respectively, in said peripheral surface which are circumferentially spaced from said first groove and from each other, comprising two arms, means securing said arms to opposite ends of said drum for pivotal movement about axes parallel with the axis of the drum, a fourth axial groove in the free end of one of said arms, a fifth axial groove in the free end of the other arm, a projection on each of said arms, cam follower means on each of said projections, stationary cam means in engagement with each of said cam follower means, the lengths of said arms and the inte relation of said cam means and cam'follower means being such as to cause said fourth and fifth grooves to be aligned with said first groove during one phase of the rotation of the drum and with said second and third grooves, respectively, during a different phase of the rotation of said drum, and stationary means adjacent to each end of said drum for forcing articles from said fourth and fifth grooves into said second and third grooves, respectively, duringsaid different phase of the rotation of the drum. N

5. Transfer means as set forth in claim 4, including biasing means urging said arms in a pivotal direction for engagement of said camfollower means with said cam means, and stop means connected with said drum for limiting movement of said arms in the opposite pivotal direction. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 20, 1957