US3263397A

US3263397A - Feeding of rod-like articles

Info

Publication number: US3263397A
Application number: US263338A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cruickshank Geoffrey Alexander
Original assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1962-03-08
Filing date: 1963-03-06
Publication date: 1966-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-02
Also published as: GB1035486A

Description

1966 G. A. CRUICKSHANK 3,263,397

FEEDING OF ROD-LIKE ARTICLES //v veA/me 46W Filed March 6, 1963 B W M523,

ATTORNEYS United States. Patent 3,263,397 FEEDING 0F ROD-LIKE ARTICLES Geoffrey Alexander Cruiclrshanlr, Deptford, l ondon, England, assignor to The Molins Organisation Limited Filed Mar. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 263,338 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 8, 1962, 8,968/62 4 Claims. (Cl. 53-236) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the feeding of rod-like articles (i.e. cigarettes), for example to the feeding of rod-like articles into a hopper.

In filling containers with cigarettes produced on a continuous rod cigarette-making machine it is sometimes the practice to feed cigarettes into a hopper. For example it has been proposed to provide, in such a hopper, vertically disposed vanes between which the cigarettes can drop to form columns, the bottom cigarettes of each column being caused to fall into prepared positions on a plate so as to form a row or rows thereon, and then, to transfer the row or rows into an adjacent container. When feeding cigarettes into a hopper for transfer to a container it is desirable to maintain a satisfactory level of cigarettes over the Whole extent of the hopper. In a case where vanes are provided, this is particularly necessary in order to ensure that all available positions between vanes are filled with cigarettes.

According to the present invention there is provided appartus for feeding rod-like articles into a receptacle (e.g. for feeding cigarettes into a hopper), comprising an element arranged to move above and across the receptacle, the said element having at least one space through which rod-like articles can fall, means to supply rodlike articles to the said element to be supported thereby over the receptacle, and means (e.g. a stop) to prevent articles being carried beyond the receptacle by the said element, so that the latter can slip beneath the articles supported on it, and articles can fall through the said space into the receptacle.

More particularly, the said element may consist of a pair of endless bands, spaced apart by a distance less than the length of a rod-like article, but being shaped at one or more selected positions so that their distance is greater than the length of an article, thus providing a spaced or opening through which an article can fall as mentioned above. The bands convey the articles across the receptacle, and the articles are prevented from moving past the receptacle by means of a stop which arrests their movement while the bands slip beneath them. Preferably a number of spaces or openings are provided, so located that as one of them moves beyond the receptacle a further space starts to move over the receptacle.

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 side elevation of one embodiment,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, cigarettes C are fed transversely of their axes by a moving catcher band 1 of a continuous rod cigarettemaking machine over a bridge 2 and on to an element formed by a pair of endless movable conveyor bands 3, passing about

rollers

4, 5, 6 and 7. The bands 3 are moved by driving the rollers 5 which are mounted on a rotating shaft 5a, and continue the feed of the cigarettes received from the catcher band 1 in the same general direction as the direction of feed by the catcher band 1, the direction of movement of the bands being shown by the arrows in FIGURE 1.

The bands 3 have substantially horizontal upper runs between the rollers 4 and 5, along which they are parallel and spaced apart by a distance slightly less than a cigarette length (see FIGURE 2). At selected positions inlets 8 are provided in the bands 3 so that at those positions their spacing is slightly greater than a cigarette length, and a space of dimensions sufficient to allow a cigarette to pass therethrough is formed.

The upper runs of the bands 3 extend above and across a receptacle in the form of a hopper 9 having side walls 10 and in which vertically disposed vanes 11 are provided. Positioned above the bands 3 and the hopper is a member 12 having an end wall 13, which defines a position above the upper runs of the bands 3.

The spacing of the selected positions of the inlets 3 along the bands 3 is such that they are separated by a length of the bands 3 equal to or slightly greater than the width of the hopper 9 (i.e. the distance between the walls 10), so that, at any one time, only one space (defined by the inlets 8) is above the hopper.

The bands 3 are continuously moved in the direction indicated by the arrow (FIGURE 1), and cigarettes C received thereon are conveyed transversely of their axes over the hopper, to fill the position defined by the member 12, the end wall 13 acting as a stop to prevent cigarettes from being carried beyond the extent of the hopper by the bands.

As a space defined by the inlets 8 moves along the upper runs of the bands 3 and across the hopper, the cigarettes C positioned beneath the member 12 and supported by the bands 3 fall through the space and into the hopper 9, the space moving progressively into register with successive articles as it travels across the hopper. Further cigarettes C are conveyed by the bands 3 to refill the position under the member 12, and as one space defined by inlets 8 moves beyond the extent of the hopper 9 (i.e. to the right of wall 13 in FIGURE 1) a further space moves over the hopper 9 (at its left hand side in FIG- URE 1).

It will be appreciated that by this arrangement cigarettes C can be fed into the hopper 9 with a substantially even distribution across its widt In the embodiment described the bands 3 are arranged to move at a speed approximately half that of the catcher band 1, so that a double row of cigarettes is formed under the member 12, but it will be understood that the speed of the bands 3 and the spacing of the inlets 8 along them may be varied as desired. It will also be understood that if desired the pair of conveyor bands 3 could be replaced by a single conveyor band whose width is greater than the length of a cigarette, there being provided apertures at selected positions in place of the spaces defined by the inlets 8.

The cigarettes thus fed into the hopper 9 drop between the vanes 11 to form columns which are supported by .a fluted base plate 14. The base plate 14 is oscillated by means of a rotating cam 15 which acts against a roller 16 carried by the base plate, so that rows of cigarettes are formed on the base plate for transfer into an adjacent container in a manner more fully described in copending United States application Serial No. 234,592.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for feeding rod-like articles, comprising a receptacle into which the articles are fed, an endless band system extending above and across the receptacle, and having at least one space through which rod-like articles can fall, means to supply rod-like articles to the endless band system to be supported thereby over the re ceptacle, means to move the endless band system so as to move the said space across the receptacle, and means to prevent articles being carried beyond the receptacle by the endless band system, so that the latter can slip beneath the articles supported on it, and articles can fall through the said space into the receptacle, as the space moves across the receptacle.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said endless band system comprises a pair of endless bands having substantially parallel runs extending above and across the receptacle, the said hands being spaced apart along the said runs by a distance less than the length of the rod-like articles and being shaped at a selected position so that their distance apart at that position is greater than the length of the articles, thus providing a space through which an article can fall, and wherein the said means to move the endless band system comprises means to move the said pair of bands along the said runs in a direction transverse to the axes of the rod-like article supported thereon so as to move the said space progressively into register with successive articles which can fall therethrough into the receptacle as the space moves across the receptacle.

3. Apparatus for feeding rod-like articles comprising a receptacle into which the articles are fed, an element extending above and across the receptacle, and having a plurality of spaces through which rod-like articles can fall, means to supply rod-like articles to the said element to be supported thereby over the receptacle, means to move the element so that the said spaces move in succession across the receptacle, the spaces being spaced along the element, considered in its direction of movement, so that as one space moves beyond the extent of the receptacle a further space moves over the receptacle, and means to prevent articles being carried beyond the receptacle by the element, so that the latter can slip beneath the articles supported on it, and articles can fall through a space into the receptacle as the space moves across the receptacle.

4. Apparatus for feeding rod like articles, comprising a receptacle into which the articles are fed, an element extending above and across the receptacle, and having at least one part defining a space through which rod-like articles can fall, a conveyor to convey rod-like articles in a direction towards said element, means to move said element so that said part moves across the receptacle, and means to prevent articles being carried beyond the receptacle by the element so that the latter can slip beneath the article supported on it, and articles can fall through said space into the receptacle as said part defining the space moves across the receptacle, said element being arranged to receive the articles and to continue their feed in the same general direction as the direction of feed by said conveyor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1933 Paridon 19824 X 1/1960 Hillman 53-148

Claims

4. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ROD-LIKE ARTICLES, COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE INTO WHICH THE ARTICLES ARE FED, AN ELEMENT EXTENDING ABOVE AND ACROSS THE RECEPTACLE, AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE PART DEFINING A SPACE THROUGH WHICH ROD-LIKE ARTICLES CAN FALL, A CONVEYOR TO CONVEY ROD-LIKE ARTICLES IN A DIRECTION TOWARDS SAID ELEMENT, MEANS TO MOVE SAID ELEMENT SO THAT SAID PART MOVES ACROSS THE RECEPTACLE, AND MEANS TO PREVENT ARTICLES BEING CARRIED BEYOND THE RECEPTACLE BY THE ELEMENT SO THAT THE LATTER CAN SLIP BENEATH THE ARTICLES SUPPORTED ON IT, AND ARTICLES CAN FALL THROUGH SAID SPACE INTO THE RECEPTACLE AS SAID PART DEFINING THE SPACE MOVES ACROSS THE RECEPTACLE, SAID ELEMENT BEING ARRANGED TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLES AND TO CONTINUE THEIR FEED IN THE SAME GENERAL DIRECTION AS THE DIRECTION OF FEED BY SAID CONVEYOR.