US3271927A - Apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like - Google Patents

Apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like Download PDF

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Publication number
US3271927A
US3271927A US333330A US33333063A US3271927A US 3271927 A US3271927 A US 3271927A US 333330 A US333330 A US 333330A US 33333063 A US33333063 A US 33333063A US 3271927 A US3271927 A US 3271927A
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United States
Prior art keywords
belt
plugs
box
guide
articles
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US333330A
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English (en)
Inventor
Molins Desmond Walter
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molins Machine Co Ltd
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Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molins Machine Co Ltd filed Critical Molins Machine Co Ltd
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Publication of US3271927A publication Critical patent/US3271927A/en
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
    • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
    • A24C5/35—Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine
    • A24C5/352—Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine using containers, i.e. boats
    • A24C5/354—Filling the boats at the making machine

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like with relatively small articles.
  • a convenient and typical example is the filling of boxes or trays with cigarettes or multiple filter plugs for cigarettes (the latter being of similar dimension to cigarettes in all [respects here relevant).
  • apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like with relatively small articles comprising means for feeding articles to a position above a box, tray or the like to be filled and permitting said articles to fall therein, a guide arranged in operation to extend into said box, tray or the like subs'tantially the whole depth thereof, and means for producing relative motion betwen said box, tray or the like and said guide so that an article engaging face of said guide and an end wall of the box, tray or the like together define an article-receiving space whose length increases from a minimum to a maximum during the filling operation, in which said guide includes an endless belt, chain or the like providing the article-engaging face of the guide, said belt, chain or the like being arranged to be driven during the filling operation.
  • While the said endless belt, chain or the like may be driven in either direction with beneficial results, due to the disturbance of the articles produced by the moving belt, chain or the like which opposes bunching, we prefer with articles such as cigarettes to drive said belt, chain or the like so that the part of it which engages the articles is moving downwards i.e. into the box, tray or the like.
  • the relative motion between the box, tray or the like and the guide may be produced by movement of the guide but we prefer to produce it by movement of the box, tray or the like as it is most convenient to provide a conveyor e.g., a movable belt arranged to propel a succession of boxes, trays or the like past a filling position at which the guide is located.
  • a conveyor e.g., a movable belt arranged to propel a succession of boxes, trays or the like past a filling position at which the guide is located.
  • the guide is conveniently arranged to be raised as the trailing end of each box, tray or the like approaches it and to be lowered as soon as the leading end of the next box, tray or the like has passed under it.
  • the machine shown forms part of an assembly or complex of machines comprising a pair of filter plug making machines, which are not shown but would be placed to the left and right of the assembly illustrated so as to deliver the plugs they make towards and into a pair of feeding systems placed on either side of the filling machine embodying the invention.
  • the said feeding systems one of which is shown in full and the other shown in part only, serve to carry the plugs from the plug making machines to the filling machine and such systems are the subject of a separate application filed concurrently herewith.
  • the drawing shows one of the feeding systems, gener ally indicated at F, and the box or tray loader generally indicated at L.
  • filter plugs from one of the filter plug making machines are delivered by a fluted roller 1 at the one end of a conveyor belt 2 carried on support rollers 3 and having a tensioning roller 4.
  • a guide plate 5 which is normally in the position shown in full lines but is movable to an alternative position shown in chain-dotted lines. In either position part of the plate 5 serves to prevent plugs dropping out of the flutes of the roller 1 while said flutes are in downwardly-facing positions.
  • the plate 5 With the plate 5 in its normal (full-line) position, the plate 5 terminates just past the lowermost point of roller 1, and the plugs carried by roller 1 are therefore permitted to drop on to the belt 2 and are carried on said belt to the left, and ultimately discharged to the loader L as the belt 2 passes over its left-hand support roller 3.
  • a support roller 6 Closely adjacent to the fluted roller 1, and to its left, is a support roller 6 carrying a fluted endless conveyor belt 7 which extends upwardly and to the left to a second support roller 8, the belt 7 being driven in an anticlock wise direction at the same linear speed as the belt 2 which in turn travels anticlockwise at the same linear speed as the periphery of the fluted roller 1.
  • the belt 7 is enclosed in a casing 9 which surrounds the belt 7 so closely that plugs resting in the flutes of the belt 7 are retained therein and must therefore travel with the belt 7.
  • the lower part of the left-hand wall of the casing 9 is flared outwardly to increase the rigidity of said casing but a guide plate 10 provided within the flared portion of said casing is arranged in close relation to the adjoining (descending) run of the belt 7 so that the plugs in the flute of this part of belt 7 are maintained therein.
  • plugs arriving at the top of fluted roller 1 are received in the flutes of said roller and travel with it within the guide plate 5 until the lower end of the latter is reached; here the plugs drop on to belt 2 and are carried to the left until they are discharged to the loader L, this path being the normal or main path provided by the system.
  • the plugs can be prevented from traversing that part of this main path extending from the lower end of guide plate 5 (in its normal position) to the far (left) edge of deflector plates 11, simply by moving the guide plate 5 to its alternative (chaindotted) position.
  • the plugs travel along a longer subsidiary path to reach the far (left) edge of deflector plates 11, as they are restrained by plate 5 from leaving the fluted roller 1 until they reach a position where they are embraced by a flute of the fluted roller and a flute of the belt 7 simultaneously.
  • each plug While so embraced, each plug is lifted a short distance and then, as the flutes holding it separate, encounters the lower edge of the right-hand wall of easing 9 and is constrained to remain in the flute of belt 7 this situation lasts while each plug travels the whole length of the ascending run of the belt 7, with the belt 7 over roller 8 and then down the descending run of belt 7, although in the lower part of the descending run it will be appreciated that the plate 10 serves, in place of the casing 9, to keep the plugs in the flutes of the belt.
  • the plate 5 is kept in its alternative position until after the first plug diverted along the subsidiary path, i.e. to belt 7, reaches the belt 2, then there will be a maximum pause in the delivery of plugs to the loader L which lasts for a time equal to the time taken by a plug to traverse the subsidiary path (from plate 5 to plates 11) minus the time taken to travel directly (on belt 2) between the same points. Should the plate 5 be returned to its normal position before the first diverted plug reaches the belt 2, then the pause will be equal to the time the plate 5 is allowed to remain in its alternative position. The number of plugs which would normally have been delivered during the pause will be temporarily stored on the belt 7.
  • a sensing device such as a photo-electric cell and lamp may be fitted at a convenient point around the fluted roller 1 and connected to a counter which is arranged to cause operation of the plate 5 whenever a selected number of plugs has passed the sensing device.
  • the loader L this has a support 20 along which boxes 21 can slide.
  • An endless horizontallyextending chain 22 provided with spaced projecting pushers 23 is carried on sprockets 24 alongside the support 20, the spacing of successive p-ushers 23 along the chain being slightly greater than the length of a box 21 and the whole length of chain 22 is a whole-number multiple of said spacing.
  • the chain 22 is driven in a clockwise direction by one or both of the sprockets 24, its upper run being above and its lower run below the support 20. It is readily seen that whenever a box is loaded on to the left-hand end of the support 20 so that its rear, i.e.
  • a slida-ble horizontal closure plate 26 normally occupies a position (shown in full lines) under the left-hand end of the belt 2, but may slide horizontally to the position shown in chain-dotted lines so as to close the gap 25.
  • a distributor member in the form of an endless belt 27 carried on rollers 23 has a normal position shown in full lines and an alternative position shown in chaindotted lines.
  • the belt 27 always has its two straight runs between the rollers 28 lying in parallel planes slightly inclined (e.g. at 5) to the vertical (its upper end being further to the left than its lower end) and its width extending at right-angles to the direction of travel of the boxes 21 and the belts 2, 2a.
  • the lowermost portion of the belt 27 When in its alternative position, the lowermost portion of the belt 27 is slightly above the level of the upper edges of boxes 21 but below the level of the belt 2a and bridge-piece 29. Means (not shown) are provided to drive the belt 27 in a clockwise direction.
  • the drawing shows the parts in the positions they occupy when a box is nearly half filled. Plugs are being fed along belt 2 and falling through the gap 25 into the box, plugs are also feeding along belt 2a, over bridge-piece 29 and the top belt 27, and falling along or near belt 27 through gap into the box.
  • the belt 27 is travelling-clockwise, therefore as it is the part of the box to the right of the belt 27 which receives the falling plugs, the right-hand run of the belt 27 tends to pack the fallen plugs more closely in the box as in that run the belt 27 is descending and movement of the belt 27 continually pushes the plugs downwards, thus tending to prevent bunching which would otherewise occur, giving rise to uneven packing; the belt 27 does not however propel the plugs positively, but only by frictional engagement and therefore damage to the plugs, e.g. squashing, is avoided.
  • the box 21 being filled is moving to the right at a suitable speed to give a desired level of plugs in the box.
  • the upper edge of the rear end of the box is about to engage the left (ascending) run of belt 27.
  • Drive means (not shown) therefore commences to raise the belt 27 to its alternative position, the speed of raising being such that a minimum clearance is maintained between the upper edge of the rear wall of the box and the ascending run of belt 27.
  • Such further sensing device may be arranged to detect the pauses in supply of plugs which are created by operation of plate 5 and to operate the said parts, 22, 26, 27 at suitable times in relation to such pauses. With such an arrangement, it is of course necessary to provide some measure of synchronisation between the two feeding systems and the machines supplying them .to ensure that the pauses in discharge from belts 2, 2a overlap sufliciently for the proper operation of the parts 22, 26, 27 to bring a fresh box below the gap 25.
  • Apparatus for filling open-topped containers such as trays with relatively small articles comprising article feeding means for feeding articles to a position over a container to be filled and permitting said articles to fall therein, a guide member arranged in operation to extend into said container substantially the whole depth thereof, an endless flexible b and forming part of said guide, means for producing relative motion between said container and said guide, an article-engaging face of said guide being provided by said band and cooperating with an end wall of said container to provide an article-receiving space whose length increases from a mini-mum to a maximum during the filling topenation by virtue of said relative motion, and means to drive said band during the filling operation.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for producing relative motion comprises a conveyor arranged to propel a succession of containers past a rfilling position, the guide being located at said filling position.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means to interrupt the flow of articles as gaps between successive containers pass below the position at which the articles are permitted to fall.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said means to interrupt the flows of articles comprises a horizonally-slidable plate.

Landscapes

  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
  • Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
US333330A 1963-01-02 1963-12-26 Apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like Expired - Lifetime US3271927A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB228/63A GB1071741A (en) 1963-01-02 1963-01-02 Improvements in or relating to apparatus for filling boxes,trays or the like

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3271927A true US3271927A (en) 1966-09-13

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US333330A Expired - Lifetime US3271927A (en) 1963-01-02 1963-12-26 Apparatus for filling boxes, trays or the like

Country Status (3)

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US (1) US3271927A (de)
DE (1) DE6602033U (de)
GB (1) GB1071741A (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3354613A (en) * 1965-04-28 1967-11-28 Mahaffy & Harder Eng Co Packaging apparatus with improved product loader
US3370395A (en) * 1964-07-30 1968-02-27 Schaerer Maschf Bobbin depositing mechanism
US4795020A (en) * 1984-04-09 1989-01-03 Molins Plc Apparatus for handling rod-like articles

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2925697A (en) * 1956-10-22 1960-02-23 Molins Machine Co Ltd Apparatus for collecting cigarettes
US3137110A (en) * 1961-04-24 1964-06-16 Seita Collecting mechanism for cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2925697A (en) * 1956-10-22 1960-02-23 Molins Machine Co Ltd Apparatus for collecting cigarettes
US3137110A (en) * 1961-04-24 1964-06-16 Seita Collecting mechanism for cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3370395A (en) * 1964-07-30 1968-02-27 Schaerer Maschf Bobbin depositing mechanism
US3354613A (en) * 1965-04-28 1967-11-28 Mahaffy & Harder Eng Co Packaging apparatus with improved product loader
US4795020A (en) * 1984-04-09 1989-01-03 Molins Plc Apparatus for handling rod-like articles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE6602033U (de) 1969-04-10
GB1071741A (en) 1967-06-14

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