US3142372A

US3142372A - Device for transferring rod-shaped articles, such as cigarettes

Info

Publication number: US3142372A
Application number: US160576A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wiese Fritz
Original assignee: Hauni Werke Koerber and Co KG
Current assignee: Koerber AG
Priority date: 1961-01-02
Filing date: 1961-12-19
Publication date: 1964-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 1981-07-28
Also published as: GB980642A; DE1160771B

Description

July 28, 1964 w s 3,142,372

DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES, SUCH AS CIGARETTES Filed Dec. 19. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 28, .1964

F. WIESE 3,142,372

Filed Dec. 19. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

United States Patent 3,142,372 DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES, SUCH AS CIGARETTES Fritz Wiese, Hamburg-Lohbrugge, Germany, assignor to Hauni-Werke Korher & Co. K.G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Filed Dec. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 160,576 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 2, 1%1 Claims. (Cl. 198-34) This invention relates to a device for transferring rodshaped articles which are moved transversely to their length and simultaneously are displaced relatively to each other in their axial direction, the articles comprising particularly a plurality of groups of articles used for making tobacco articles. It is immaterial, as far as the invention is concerned, whether these articles are axially moved toward each other or away from each other.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a device for transferring cigarettes or filter bodies which are conveyed transversely (i.e., at right angles) to their longitudinal axes from a cutting drum, on which the cigarettes or filter rods are cut into pieces, to an assembly drum on which the mentioned articles are united to groups.

In accordance with the present invention the device for transferring rod-shaped articles consists of a plurality of rotatable circular discs provided at their circumference with holder means for holding the articles to be transferred. The number of said discs corresponds to the number of articles in a group to be transferred simultaneously. These discs are loosely rotatable in planes which form with a vertical plane such angles that after rotation of the discs about an angle of say 180 the articles to be transferred are axially displaced relatively to each other by a distance which is equal to the desired axial displacement.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the device for transferring rod-shaped articles with means which permit an adjustment of the articles to be transferred in axial direction so that the same device is suitable for different lengths of rod-shaped articles. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the angle of inclination of each of the rotary circular discs with respect to the vertical plane is adjustable.

It is the advantage of the device of the invention that depending upon the extent of the relative movement of the articles with respect to each other it is only required to adjust the planes of rotation of the circular discs.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to a specific embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the transfer device with two of the transfer discs shown in diametrical section,

FIG. 2 is a partial end view of the device, and

FIG. 3 illustrates the central portion of FIG. 1 drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawing, the circular discs 6 for transferring the articles are arranged upon a stationary common supporting shaft 25 which has mounted thereon a plurality of crowned or bulged bearing

collars

131, 132, 133 and 134 one arranged close to the other. These hearing collars are each provided with an axially extending slot 50 so that the open collars can be clamped in the desired position on the common shaft 25. Each collar has mounted on its bulged circumferential surface a pair of axially aligned clamping parts, such as

rings

51, 52 the inner circumferential walls 53 of which are inclined to the axes of the rings and engage with the bulged shape of the collars. These two

clamping rings

51, 52 are connected with each other by clamping screws 54 which when tight- 3,142,372 Patented July 28, 1964 ice ened secure the

clamping rings

51, 52 in the desired position on the collars and the collars on the shaft 25. The clamping rings 51 are provided with annular shoulders 55 for receiving the inner races of ball bearings 7 and other clamping rings 56 are used to securely attach said inner races to the clamping rings 51.

The outer races of the ball bearings 7 have attached thereto the transfer discs 6 which are provided for this purpose with a suitable annular seat for receiving one portion of the outer races, the other portions of which are engaged by flanged rings 6a secured to the discs 6 by means of bolts 57.

Near the outer circumferential portion of each flanged ring 6a is mounted a roller 6b in the disc which is rotatable about a radial axis. The roller 6b enters into a slot 27a of a driving arm 27 which is rotatable about the shaft 25.

The adjustment for instance of the transfer disc 6 mounted on the bulged bearing collar 133 takes place in the following manner: First of all the screws 54 associated with the discs 6 mounted on the bulged

bearing collars

131 and 132 are loosened and these discs together with the

collars

131 and 132 are pulled off the shaft 25. Then the screws 54 associated with the disc 6 mounted on the bulged bearing collar 133 are sufficiently loosened to release the clamping engagement of the

parts

51 and 52 and therewith the clamping engagement of the collar 133 with the shaft 25 so that not only the collar 133 with the disc 6 thereon may be axially displaced along the shaft 25, but at the same time the disc 6 may be tilted with respect to the shaft on its collar 133 to the desired position. When the disc 6 has been adjusted, the

clamping parts

51 and 52 are again clamped together by the screws 54.

In the same manner as just described the other transfer discs 6 are loosened, adjusted and clamped in their adjusted position, after the same with their collars have been again mounted on the shaft 25. The disc 6 on the collar 134 may be loosened from the inside thereof, adjusted and clamped in its adjusted position.

Two examples of the manner in which the invention operates is described as follows:

Rod-shaped articles F are supplied by a conveyor, for example a cutting drum (not shown) as described in Serial No. 854,770 which cuts filter rods into four severed filter plugs in the direction of the arrow A said articles F being arranged in close axial alignment so that each of said articles F is received in its respective holder means or groove on each of said transfer discs 6 and is conveyed by said discs 6 through an angular distance of and the planes of said discs 6 forming predetermined angles with each other so as to cause said articles F to be axially separated from each other by a distance which is equal to the desired axial separation for transferring said articles F to their respective grooves on another conveyor for example an assembly drum (not shown).

Furthermore said articles F may be supplied to their respective grooves on said transfer discs 6 in the direction of arrow B axially separated from each other by a distance which is equal to that desired to be conveyed by said discs 6 through an angular distance of 180 the planes of said discs 6 forming predetermined angles with each other so as to cause said articles F to be arranged in close axial alignment for transferring said articles F to another conveyor.

Finally said articles F may also be supplied to and conveyed by said transfer discs 6 in the previously described manner and may be conveyed by said discs 6 through predetermined angular distances, for example 30 or 60, so that said articles F in said respective grooves on said discs 6 may be axially separated relaa tively from each other a distance which depends upon the amount of said angular distance, for example when said amount is 30 said articles F are axially separated relatively from each other a distance which is half of that when said amount of said angular distance is 60 or a sixth of the distance between said axially separated articles F when said articles F are moved through an angular distance of 180.

What I claim is:

1. A device for transferring groups of axially aligned rod-shaped articles transversely to their length and for simultaneously displacing the articles of such groups axially relative to each other, said device comprising (a) a plurality of axially spaced transfer discs, one for each article of a group to be transferred,

(b) means for rotatably supporting said transfer discs so that the discs are free to rotate about a fixed axis in planes which form such angles with said fixed axis that, after rotating with said discs through a predetermined angle, the articles to be transferred are axially displaced by a desired distance,

() means for adjusting the inclination of said discs with respect to each other, said adjusting means including a bearing'collar for each transfer discs and said discs being adjustably mounted on the respective bearing collars so that each thereof may rotate in a selected plane,

(d) supporting means for maintaining said bearing collars in axial alignment, and

(0) means for rotating said discs at identical speeds.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises a shaft, and further comprising means for clamping said bearing collars on said shaft, and means for rotatably supporting said discs on said clamping means.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises a shaft, each of said bearing collars being provided with a crown and being mounted on said shaft, and further comprising means engaging the crowns of said bearing collars for clamping said bearing collars on said shaft and for rotatably supporting said transfer discs.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises a shaft on which said hearing collars are mounted, said bearing collars being axially slotted for axial adjustment along said shaft, and further comprising means for clamping said collars in the desired position on said shaft and for rotatably supporting said transfer discs.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises a shaft on which said bearing collars are mounted, said bearing collars being axially sloted for axial adjustment along said shaft, and further comprising means for clamping said collars in the desired position on said shaft and for rotatably supporting said transfer discs, said last named means also adjusting said transfer discs into the desired inclined position in which they are to rotate.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises a shaft on which said bearing collars are mounted, said bearing collars being axially slotted for axial adjustment along said shaft, and further comprising means for clamping said collars in the desired position on said shaft and for rotatably supporting said transfer discs, said last named means comprising a pair of clamping parts for each bearing collar and means for securely connecting the clamping parts of each pair with each other, said pairs of clamping parts engaging the respective bearing collars and clamping the same on said shaft and also forming an adjustable bearing for the respective transfer discs.

7. A device in accordance with claim I, wherein said supporting means comprises a shaft on which said hearing collars are mounted, said bearing collars being axially slotted for axial adjustment along said shaft, and further comprising means for clamping said collars in the desired position on said shaft and for rotatably supporting said transfer discs, said last named means comprising a pair of clamping parts for each bearing collar and means for securing the clamping parts of each pair with each other, said pairs of clamping parts engaging the respective hearing collars and clamping the same on said shaft, and each pair of clamping parts also forming an adjustable supporting seat for a ball bearing which rotatably supports the transfer disc associated with the respective bearing collar.

8. A device for transferring groups of axially aligned rod-shaped articles in a direction at right angles to the common axes of such groups of articles and for simultaneously displacing the articles of each group axially with respect to each other, comprising a plurality of axially spaced transfer discs, one for each article of a group, said discs having aligned peripheral holder means each of which is arranged to receive an article; means for rotatably supporting said transfer discs so that the discs are free to rotate about a fixed axis in planes which form such angles with said fixed axis that, after rotating with said discs through a predetermined angle, the articles to be transferred are axially displaced by a desired distance; and means for rotating said discs at identical speeds about said fixed axis.

9. A device for transferring groups of axially aligned rod-shaped articles in a direction at right angles to the common axes of such groups of articles and for simultaneously displacing the articles of each group axially with respect to each other, comprising a plurality of axially spaced transfer discs, one for each article of a group, said discs having aligned peripheral holder means each of which is arranged to receive an article; means for rotatably supporting said transfer discs so that the discs are free to rotate about a fixed axis in planes which form such angles with said fixed axis that, after rotating with said discs through a predetermined angle, the articles to be transferred are axially displaced by a desired distance; means for rotating said discs at identical speeds about said fixed axis; and means for adjusting the inclination of the planes of said discs with respect to said fixed axis.

10. A device for transferring groups of axially aligned rod-shaped articles transversely to their length and for simultaneously displacing the articles of such groups axially with respect to each other, comprising a plurality of axially spaced transfer discs, one for each article of a group to be transferred and each disc having peripheral holder means for the article, the holder means of said discs being aligned with each other; and means for rotatably supporting said transfer discs so that the discs rotate about a fixed axis in planes which form such angles with said fixed axis that, after rotating with the holder means of said discs through a predetermined angle, the articles of a group to be transferred are axially displaced by a distance which is equal to the desired displacement.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 530,362 Germany u July 28, 1931

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING GROUPS OF AXIALLY ALIGNED ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES TRANSVERSELY TO THEIR LENGTH AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY DISPLACING THE ARTICLES OF SUCH GROUPS AXIALLY RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING (A) A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED TRANSFER DISCS, ONE FOR EACH ARTICLE OF A GROUP TO BE TRANSFERRED, (B) MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID TRANSFER DISCS SO THAT THE DISCS ARE FREE TO ROTATE ABOUT A FIXED AXIS IN PLANES WHICH FORM SUCH ANGLES WITH SAID FIXED AXIS THAT, AFTER ROTATING WITH SAID DISCS THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE, THE ARTICLES TO BE TRANSFERRED ARE AXIALLY DISPLACED BY A DESIRED DISTANCE, (C) MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE INCLINATION OF SAID DISCS WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SAID ADJUSTING MEANS INCLUDING A BEARING COLLAR FOR EACH TRANSFER DISCS AND SAID DISCS BEING ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON THE RESPECTIVE BEARING COLLARS SO THAT EACH THEREOF MAY ROTATE IN A SELECTED PLANE, (D) SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID BEARING COLLARS IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT, AND (E) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISCS AT IDENTICAL SPEEDS.