US3026661A

US3026661A - Apparatus for collecting cigarettes in receptacles

Info

Publication number: US3026661A
Application number: US5934A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pembroke George Frederick; Hillman James George Edward
Original assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1959-02-10
Filing date: 1960-02-01
Publication date: 1962-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 1979-03-27
Also published as: DE1137665B

Description

March 27, 1962 e. F. PEMBROKE ETAL 3,026,661

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CIGARETTES m RECEPTACLES Filed Feb. 1, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOR ME 7 March 27, 1962 e. F. PEMBROKE ETAL 3,026,661

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CIGARETTES IN RECEPTACLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1960 BY W 54 Y /fi my" ai m A March 27, 1962 s. F. PEMBROKE ETAL 3,026,661

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CIGARETTES IN RECEPTACLES Filed Feb. 1, 1960 6 sheets-sheet :5

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March 27, 1962 G. F. PEMBROKE ETAL 3,026,661

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CIGARETTES IN RECEPTACLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 1, 1960 Fig .6.

S n 5 i1 Wm m 4% M m W/MM M WW MM/ a March 27, 1962 ca. F. PEMBROKE ETAL 3,026,661

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CIGARETTES IN RECEPTACLES 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 1, 1960 March 27, 1962 G. F. PEMBROKE ETAL 3,026,661

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING CIGARETTES IN RECEPTACLES Filed Feb. 1, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fig.9.

154 X I X154 156 INVENTORS new 3,fi2fi,fidl Patented Pillar. 27, 1962 fire 3,026,661 APPARATUS FQR COLLECTRNG CIGARETTES IN RECEPTACLES George Frederick Pembroke and James George Edward Hiilman, London, England, assignors to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Feb. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 5,934 Claims priority, application Great Britain Feb. 10, 1959 9 Claims. (Cl. 53-148) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to apparatus for collecting cigarettes in receptacles (e.g. cigarettes coming from one or more cigarette-making machines).

In the complete specification and drawings of United States Patent No. 2,919,529, granted January 5, 1960, there is disclosed apparatus in which cigarettes are fed downwardly into an open-sided receptacle to form a stack on a platform which moves gradually downwardly in the receptacle, thus lowering the stack as more cigarettes are added to the stack from above. When the platform has moved a desired distance downwards, a support device operates to intercept and support all those cigarettes above a predetermined level, so as temporarily to prevent them from moving further downwardly. The cigarettes which are Wholly supported by the platform (forming the required stack), are then engaged by a pusher which moves through the receptacle, pushing the stack across the support from the receptacle into an adjacent container. The pusher is then withdrawn, the platform is raised again, the support device is withdrawn so as to allow those cigarettes above the said predetermined level to be supported on the platform and to be lowered thereby, and the cycle is repeated.

In the complete specification and drawings of copending US. patent application Ser. No. 747,738, filed July 10, 1958, now US. Patent No. 3,004,374, there is disclosed apparatus similar to that just described, but modified so that the container into which cigarettes are pushed is moved to different positions so as to be filled in a plurality of stages. Thus in one specifice example described in U.S. patent application Serial No. 747,738 the container is first positioned with its lower half in register with the receptacle and filled with a stack of cigarettes pushed into it from the receptacle, and is then lowered to bring its upper half into register with the receptacle, so that the next stack of cigarettes pushed out of the receptacle enters the upper half of the container. That modification facilities the transfer of cigarettes into the container, particularly when the cigarettes in question are tipped.

The containers referred to above are removable, and would in practice he used, when filled, to transport cigarettes, for example to a packing machine. A container for use with the apparatus described is constructed with a base, two end walls, and one side wall, the opposite side (which is the side to be positioned adjacent the receptacle) being open to allow the cigarettes to be pushed in. Containers of this general construction are often used by cigarette manufacturers to contain and transport cigarettes, and are commonly known as trays. Such trays vary in constructional detail, but often the bottom inside corners (between the base and end walls) are formed at 90 angles, and further, the inner surfaces of the end walls of a typical tray are often flush from the top to the base. With such constructions the stack of cigarettes pushed into a tray can of course be rectilinear in cross-section, and no difliculty arises in this connection.

Some trays, however, are constructed with non-rectangular bottom inside corners; for example they may be provided with gussets extending from the base to the end walls, or the base and end walls may be joined by curved portions. Further, the end walls may be provided with inward projections at their upper ends, to enable trays to be stacked one on another, and these inward projections may extend downwardly inside the tray, forming obstructions at the top inside corners of the tray. When a tray of such construction is to be used, the problem arises of forming in the receptacle a stack of suitable shape to push from the receptacle into the tray, which stack will fill the tray to its full capacity while avoiding the obstructions in the inside corner portions of the tray.

According to the present invention there is provided cigarette-collecting apparatus comprising means to feed cigarettes downwardly on to a support on which they form a stack, means to move the support downwardly between upright confining walls to lower the stack during its formation, a pusher to push a stack across the support into an adjacent container, and means operative, after a stack of the required size has been formed on the support, to prevent further cigarettes from moving down until the stack has been pushed across the support into an adjacent container and the support has been raised to receive further cigarettes, wherein on or more of the members which confine the stack during its formation (i.e. the support and the confining walls) comprise movable parts located where corners of a completed stack will be located, and means to cause each such movable part to assume a position in the same plane as the member of which it forms part, for facilitating the formation of the stack, and to move inwardly from the said position before the stack is pushed into a container, so as to cause the corners of the stack to be formed to suitable shapes to enable them to clear any obstructions in the inner corner portions of the container.

The said movable parts may be pivoted on their respective confining members. For example the support may have pivoted flaps at its extreme ends, which flaps are spring-urged upwardly towards positions at which they extend obliquely from the support to the confining walls. Movement of such a flap may be controlled by an element pivotally connected to the support and springur-ged in a direction to press the flap upwardly, said element having a part arranged to engage a fixed abutment when the support is approching its highest position, whereby the element is depressed relatively to the support and the flap swings downwardly into the plane of the rest of the support. The said element may have a surface which, when the element is in its raised position relatively to the support, forms an extension of the raised flap.

Further, the said upright confining walls may comprise pivoted flaps at the upper ends of the said walls, said flaps being spring-urged outwardly towards positions in which each said flap is in the same plane as its upright confining Walls, and means may be provided to press said flaps inwardly after completion of a stock of cigarettes to be pushed into a container, so as to cause the said flaps to extend obliquely inwardly from the said walls and cause the upper corner portions of the stack to assume a suitable shape prior to the transfer of the stack of cigarettes into the container.

The apparatus may comprise means to lower a container from one filling position to another, and may be arranged to fill a container in two stages, by pushing one stack into the lower part of the container and subsequently pushing a further stack being pushed into the upper part of the container after the latter has been lowered, the means to press the flaps inwardly being operative only after formation of the said further stack. The said means to press the flaps inwardly may comprise a movable presser element to engage each said flap, a movable actuating member arranged to be moved by the said support each time the latter reaches its lowermost position, a linking member capable of coupling the said movable presser element to the said movable actuating member, and means operated by the said means to lower a container, to move the said linking member to a positione such that it can couple the presser element to the actuating member, only when the container is being lowered from the said one filling position to the other filling position.

T he pusher itself may be suitably shaped at the corners to conform to the shape of the stack to be pushed into the container. In the case where the container is filled in two stages as just mentioned, the pusher may comprise pivoted portions at its upper corners at least, which portions can be swung away to cause the pusher to conform in shape substantially to the shape of a stack to be pushed into the container.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of cigarette-collecting apparatus,

FIGURES 2 and 3 show, to a larger scale, a detail of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1, with the parts in different positions,

FIGURE 4 shows, to a larger scale, a further detail of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a detail of a part of FIGURE 4, showing some mechanism omitted from FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view, showing part of a pusher plate, and taken on the line VI-VI, FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a partial end view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 and illustrating means for lowering a contamer,

FIGURE 8 is an end view of part of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic side view of a container or tray.

In the references to the accompany drawings, the reference numerals applied to certain parts are, where appropriate, and as far as practicable, the same as reference numerals applied to corresponding parts of FIG- URE in of the drawings accompanying the complete specification of U.S. patent application Serial No. 690,47 5 and of FIGURE 8 of the drawings accompanying the complete specification of U.S. patent application Serial No. 747,738.

Referring to FIGURE 1, this shows in outline cigarette-collecting apparatus as disclosed in the complete specification and drawings of U.S. patent application Serial No. 690,475 and shows in addition mechanism in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus disclosed in U.S. patent application Serial No. 690,475 will first be briefly referred to.

The apparatus comprises an open-sided receptacle towards which rows of cigarettes are carried by conveyor bands I, which deliver the cigarettes to rotating paddlewheels 3 which lower the cigarettes towards the receptacle. Strippers 4 strip the cigarettes from the paddlewheels and confine a stack of downwardly-moving cigarettes. A reciprocating bar 5 carries pins 6 which, by moving to and fro through the descending pile of cigarettes help to maintain the cigarettes in parallel alignment, i.e. with their longitudinal axes parallel to the pins 6.

A row of needles I2 is located beneath the pins 6, and a support plate 12a is located just below the needles 12. The needles are arranged to be projected forwardly at times to penetrate end faces of cigarettes and thereby arrest further downward movement of all cigarettes at or above the level of the needles. The plate 12a is arranged to be projected forwardly shortly thereafter in order to help to support the cigarettes above it.

The receptacle mentioned above includes opposed end walls 149. A support or platform 15 is arranged to be moved vertically downwardly from a position just below the level of the plate 12:! to a lower position. The platform acts to support cigarettes fed downwardly from the bands 1, and to lower them through the receptacle in the form of a stack. When the platform has reached its lowest position, a pusher plate 32 is moved forwardly across the platform to push the stack of cigarettes into a container arranged in front of the open-sided receptacle. Before the platform reaches its lowest position, the needles 12 and the plate 12a are operated to arrest the downward movement of cigarettes above their level, and thus the final downward movement of the platform separates a stack of cigarettes, supported on the platform, from cigarettes supported by the needles I2 and plate 120.

The operation of the devices so far mentioned is efiected as disclosed in the complete specification and drawings of U.S. patent application Serial No. 690,475 with particular reference to FIGURE 16 of those drawings.

A container 11 (see FIGURE 7) to receive a stack of cigarettes is carried on supports 16 carried by chain conveyors 3-3, and mechanism is provided to move the chain conveyors so as to position the container in the two positions shown in full line and in dot and dash line, respectively, in FIGURE 7. In the full line position the lower part of the container registers with a stack to be pushed into it, while in the dot-and-dash line position the upper part of the container is positioned to receive a further stack which will rest on the cigarettes already contained in the lower part.

The operation of the chain conveyor 83 is as disclosed in the complete specification and drawings of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 747,738 and need not be mentioned here.

in the construction according to the present invention, the platform 15, the end walls 140, and the pusher plate 32, comprise pivoted parts which are arranged to be swung about their pivots at certain times in the manner and for the purposes to be described.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the two extreme end portions of the platform 15 are each formed by a pivoted flap 26, pivoted on the platform at 27. The flaps may be springurged downwardly, or may be freely pivoted. Two identical devices are provided at opposite ends of the platform to cause these flaps to swing to the desired positions at suitable times. One of these devices is illustrated in detail in FIGURES 2 and 3 and the following description relates to this one device, it being understood that the description applies equally to the device at the other end of the platform. 15.

Mounted beneath and fixed to the platform 15 is a bracket 22 on which are pivoted parallel links 23 carrying an upwardly extending element 24. The links 23 are spring-urged upwardly by a spring 25.

The element 24 has an extension 23 having an inclined end face 29 which, when the links 23 are in their upward position, engages the flap 26 and forms an extension of it, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, while urging and holding it in an upwardly inclined position, upward movement of the part 28 being restricted by a stop screw 33. When the member 24 and links 23 are in their lower position, FIGURE 3, the part 28 lies beneath the fiap 26, which then lies in the same plane as the rest of the platform 15.

A projection 30 fixed on the part 28 extends past the confining wall and engages a fixed abutment 31 when the platform 15 approaches its uppermost position, FIG- URE 3, and is thereby pressed downwardly, relatively to the platform 15, to cause the flap 26 to assume the position shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 4, the upper end of each of the confining walls 140 (only one of which is shown in FIGURE 4) comprises a pivoted flap 34, pivoted at 35. This flap is spring-urged outwardly against a stop 36 by a spring 37, so that normally it lies in the same plane as the remainder of the wall 140, as shown in FIGURE 1 and also in full line in FIGURE 4. A bellcrank

lever having arms

38 and 39 is pivoted at 49 on a fixed bracket 41. The arm 38 carries a roller 42 which engages the flap 34. A link 43 is pivotally connected to and depends from the arm 3?, and carries at its lower end a pin 44. A spring 45 extending from the arm 39 to the link 43 urges the latter towards the left, as viewed in FIGURE 4, against an adjustable stop screw 46.

A lever 47 carries a pin 43 which extends across the link 43 so that when the lever 47 is turned clockwise about its pivot 4d the pin 48 will push the link to the right, FIGURE 4. This is effected at certain times by a member 50 which is connected to and movable with the chain conveyor system 83 (FIGURE 7), and which has a cam face 51 which can engage a roller 55 on the lever 47 when the member 50 moves downwards. The container 1.1 is first placed in a position such that its lower half registers with a stack of cigarettes to be pushed into it; when its lower half has been filled, the container is lowered so that the next operation of the pusher 32 will fill the upper half. It is during the movement of the chain conveyors 83 to bring the container or tray 11 to the lower position that the member 50 engages the roller 55 and thereby causes the link 43 to swing over to the right as viewed in FIGURE 4.

An arm 66 pivoted at 61 to a fixed part of the apparatus (see also FIGURE 8) is arranged to be swung downwardly against the pressure of a spring (not shown) by a presser element 62 connected to and movable with the platform 15. The element 62 makes contact with the arm 60 whenever the platform approaches its lowermost position, that is, shortly before a stack of cigarettes is pushed off the platform into the container. Thus the arm 60 swings down once during each filling cycle. As can be seen from FIGURES 4 and 8, the end of the arm of} is so located that it can engage the pin 44, and push it downwardly, only when the link 43 has been swung to the right in FIGURE 4 and occupies the position shown in dot-and-dash line in that figure. Thus although the arm 66 moves downwardly once during each filling cycle, it engages the pin 44 only at the completion of the second cycle of a pairthat is, when the stack of cigarettes. which is to be pushed into the upper half of a container has just been completed. When this occurs, the arm 6% pulls the link 43 downwardly, thereby rocking the bell-

crank lever

38, 39 and causing the roller 42 to push the flap 34 inwardly to the dot-and-dash line position shown in FIGURE 4, and to hold it in that position as long as the platform 15 is in its lowermost posillflil.

The upper corner portions 65 of the pusher plate 32 (one of which is shown in dot-and-dash line in FIGURE 4) are pivoted on the plate as shown in FIGURE 5 and 6 and are arranged to be swung back to desired times as illustrated in dot-and-dash lines in FIGURE 6.

Each corner portion 65 is fixed on a swing bracket as, see FIGURE 6, which is pivoted at 67 to a part 68 fixed on the rear face of the pusher plate 32. A coiled spring 69 urges the corner portion 65 into the same plane as the rest of the plate 32 as shown in full line in FIGURE 6. When the flap 34 is in the position shown in full line in FIGURE 4, i.e. in the same plane as the wall 140, and the pusher plate 32 moves across the platform 15, the corner portions 65 remain in the plane of the plate 32 since the spring 69 urges each corner portion forward-1y with suflicient strength to overcome the resistance of the cigarettes. When the flaps 34 are swung inwardly, however, the corner portions 65 are swung back as the plate 32 moves forwardly. To facilitate this, each of the flaps 34 is provided at its rear end (that is, considered in the direction of movement of the pusher 32 in a pushing stroke) with a roller 70, FIGURES 5 and 6, mounted in lugs 71 at opposite ends of a part 72 fixed to the outer face of the flap 34. When the flaps 34 are swung inwardly, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, the roller 70 on each flap is in engagement with the corresponding corner portion 65. Thus as the pusher plate 32 moves forward ly, the flaps 65 are held back by the rollers 79 and thus swing back, riding over the rollers as the pusher moves forward, and then along the inner surfaces of the flaps 34 as shown in dot-and-dash line in FIGURE 6. It will be seen that the roller 74 permits a corner portion 65 to swing about its pivot with little friction or wear on the front face of the portion 65.

When the pusher returns, the corner portion 65 swings back to its normal position as it moves past the roller 70.

It will be understood that the mechanism illustrated in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 is diuplicated at the opposite side of the apparatus.

FIGURE 9 shows diagrammatically the construction of one example of a container, or tray, for which the apparatus described is suitable. The container comprises a base 150, end walls .151, and one side wall 152, the other side being open. Gussets 153 extend from the base to the end walls at the bottom corners of the container. At the top of the container, the end walls are bent inwardly and backwardly to form projections 154, which are provided in order to facilitate the stacking of the containers on each other. It will be seen that these elements 153 and 154 constitute obstructions which must be cleared by stacks of cigarettes being pushed into the lower and upper half respectively of the container from one side thereof.

The upper level of the first stack of cigarettes to be pushed into the container is indicated in FIGURE 9 by a dot-and-dash line 155, while the top level of the sec ond batch is indicated by the dot-and-dash line 156.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows.

Cigarettes (e.g. coming directly from one or more cigarette-making machines) are fed downwardly between the strippers 4 and walls 144 by the devices illustrated in FIGURE 1, and form a stack which is supponted by the platform 15, which moves slowly downwardly until, when it has nearly reached its lowest position illustrated in FIGURE 1, the needles 12 are projected forwardly and prevent further downward movement of cigarettes above them the plate 12a then being moved forward to support the cigarettes above it. A stack of cigarettes is pushed from the platform, which then returns to its uppermost position. FIGURE 3 illustrates the stage at which, while cigarettes are still supported by the plate 12a, the platform 15 has just been raised to its topmost position, following the transfer of the stack of cigarettes, as just mentioned. It will be assumed that the transfer just effected has completed the filling of one container, which will now be replaced by an empty container 11 positioned with its lower half in register with the pusher 32. This position is shown in full line in FIGURE 7.

At this stage the projection 30 is in engagement with the abutment 31 and the flap 26 is therefore flush with rest of the platform 15. Thus the platform is able to rise very close to the plate 12a, with the result that when the latter is withdrawn, the cigarettes released thereby have only a very short distance to drop on to the platform 15.

When the plate 12a has been withdrawn, the platform 15 starts to descend, and as it does so, the part 28 rises (relatively to the platform) and pushes the flap 26 upwardly until the flap 26 and surface 29 assume the positions shown in FIGURE 2. Accordingly the bottom corners of the descending stack of cigarettes are shaped to conform to the shape of the interior bottom corners of the container or tray shown in FIGURE 9. In other words, the flaps 26 and surfaces 29 substantially corre spond to the gussets 153, FIGURE 9.

When the platform 15 approaches its lowest position,

the devices referred to above operate as disclosed in U.S. patent applications Serial Nos. 690,475 and 747,738 to arrest the downward movement of cigarettes above a predetermined position, these devices including the needles 12 which project into end faces of cigarettes at their level, and the plate 12a which is projected beneath cigarettes above that level and supports them while the platform completes its downward movement. The pusher plate 32 then pushes the batch of cigarettes into the lower half of the container 11. It will be seen that the lower corners of the batch or stack will clear the gussets 153, FIGURE 9. At the end of the downward movement of the platform 15, the arm 60 at each end of the receptacle is lowered by the member 62, but as the link 43 is at that time still in its left-hand position, FIG- URE 4, the pin 44 is clear of the end of the arm 60 and is therefore not pulled down.

After the pusher has been retracted, the platform rises to the position shown in FIGURE 3. At this time, or some suitable time thereafter, the chains 83 (FIGURES l and 7) are operated to lower the container 11 so as to bring its upper half into register with the pusher 32. The lowering of the platform 15 then proceeds for the second time. So far, the flaps 34, FIGURES 4 and 5, have remained fiush with the remainder of the confining walls 140 and in line with the upper walls or strippers 4, thus allowing cigarettes to be fed down freely and to form a stack extending from one end wall 14% to the other. As the container 11, carried by the chains 83, approaches its lowest position, however, the face 51 of the member 50 connected to the chains 83 engages the roller 55, thus swinging the lever 47 so that the pin 48 pushes the link 43 to the right, FIGURE 4, and thereby brings the pin 44 into the range of action of the end of the arm 60. Accordingly as the platform 15 reaches its lowermost position, and member 62 depresses the arm 60, the latter engages the pin 44 and pulls the link 43 downwardly. As a result, the bell-crank 38, 39, is rocked and the roller 42 presses the flap 34 inwardly to the position shown in dot-and-dash line in FIGURE 4 and in full line in FIGURE 5.

The above description refers only to the mechanism at one end of the apparatus, but it will be understood that the identical mechanism provided at the opposite end operates in the same way.

The mechanism just described is so timed that the flaps 34 are swung inwardly at a suitable time after the plate 12a has been projected forward to support cigarettes which do not form part of the batch or stack to be transferred by the next pusher stroke. During that time, the platform 15 has moved a short distance downwardly so that the upper level of the cigarette stack which it supports is a little below the plate 12a. Thus when the flaps 34 move inwardly they are able to displace cigarettes near the upper level, in order to shape the upper corners of the stack to the desired formation, and there is room for the cigarettes so displaced to move slightly upwards in accommodating themselves to that formation.

To avoid undue complication of mechanism it is found convenient, and quite satisfactory, to allow the flaps 26 and surfaces 29 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 3) to assume the positions illustrated in FIGURE 2 during each of the two filling cycles. If desired, however, the mechanism could be modified by providing means to maintain the flap 26 in its horizontal position during the second cycle, since the second batch of cigarettes is pushed into the upper half of the container 11 where there are no obstructions in the way of the lower corners of the batch.

The pusher plate 32, as mentioned above, has pivoted top corner portions 65. These remain flush with the plate 32 during the first pushing stroke, but are swung when the second batch is pushed into the container, after the fiaps 34 have been swung inwardly in the manner explained above.

The lower corners of the plate 32 are cut away as 8 shown in FIGURE 1, to enable the plate to clear the flaps 26 and surfaces 29. If desired, however (for example if the flaps 26 were arranged to remain horizontal during the second cycle, as mentioned above), the lower corners could be provided with pivoted corner portions like the portions 65.

When a container 11 has been completely filled, by the transfer into it of two successive batches or stacks of cigarettes, it is removed and replaced by an empty container. Preferably the filled container is raised by the chain conveyor system 83 to a convenient height for visual inspection of the cigarettes by an attendant-that is, to a level above that at which the first transfer operation takes place. To facilitate this, in the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 7 the chain conveyor 83 can if desired be arranged to extend upwardly further than as shown in that figure, and suitable mechanism may be provided to elevate a filled container to a suitable level, for example one at which it is higher than the cigarette feeding and filling apparatus, so as to facilitate inspection and also to make it easily accessible for removal.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Cigarette-collecting apparatus comprising a support, means to feed cigarettes downwardly on to the support on which they form a stack, means to move the support downwardly to lower the stack during its formation, upright confining walls between which the support is moved down, the said support and the said confining walls constituting confining members which confine the stack during its formation, a pusher to push a stack across the support, means to support a container in a position to receive said stack from the support, means to raise the support, means operative, after a stack of the required size has been formed on the support, to prevent further cigarettes from moving down until the stack has been pushed across the support into an adjacent container and the support has been raised to receive further cigarettes, wherein at least one of the said confining members comprises movable parts located where those edges of a completed stack which are in contact with the said confining walls will be located, and means to cause each such movable part to assume a position in the same plane as the member of which it forms part, for facilitating the formation of the stack, and to move inwardly from the said position before the stack is pushed into a container, so as to cause the said edges of the stack to be formed to suitable shapes to enable them to clear any obstructions in the inner corner portions of the container.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said movable parts are pivoted on their respective confining members.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said movable parts include pivoted flaps at the extreme ends of the said support, which flaps are spring-urged upwardly and inwardly towards positions in which they extend obliquely from the support to the confining walls.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, comprising an element pivotally connected to the support, and springurged in a direction to press a flap upwardly, and a fixed abutment, the said element having a part arranged to engage the said fixed abutment when the support is approaching its highest position, whereby the said element is depressed relatively to the support and the flap swings downwardly into the plane of the rest of the support.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said element has a surface which, when the element is in its raised position relatively to the support, forms an extension of the raised flap.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said upright confining walls comprise pivoted flaps at the upper ends of the said walls, the flaps being spring-urged outwardly towards positions in which each said flap is in the same plane as the wall of which it forms a part, and means to press said fiaps inwardly after completion of a stack of cigarettes to be pushed into a container, so as to cause the said flaps to extend obliquely inwardly from the said walls and cause the upper said edges of the stack to assume a suitable shape prior to the transfer of the stack of cigarettes into the container.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, comprising means to lower a container from one filling position to another, and wherein the apparatus is arranged to fill a container in two stages by pushing one stack into the lower part of the container and subsequently pushing a further stack into the upper part of the container after the latter has been lowered, and wherein the means to press the said fiaps inwardly is operative only after formation of the said further stack.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said means to press the flaps inwardly comprises a movable presser element to engage each said flap, a movable actuating member arranged to be moved by the said support each time the latter reaches its lowermost position, a linking member capable of coupling the said movable presser element to the said movable actuating member, and means operated by the said means to lower a con- 10 tainer, to move the said linking member to a position such that it can couple the presser element to the actuating member, only when the container is being lowered from the said one filling position to the other filling position.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pusher comprises pivoted portions at its upper corners at least, which portions can be swung away to cause the pusher to conform in shape to the shape of a stack to be pushed into a container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 753,223 Beeg Mar. 1, 1904 1,248,465 Donnelly Dec. 4, 1917 1,447,715 Ekstrom et al Mar. 6, 1923 1,770,901 Dietm-ann July 22, 1930 1,870,533 Scott et al. Aug. 9, 1932 2,919,529 Hillman Jan. 5, 1960 2,938,317 Hillman May 31, 1960