US3393591A

US3393591A - Methods and apparatus for feeding stubs pneumatically

Info

Publication number: US3393591A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rakowicz Jan Antoni
Original assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Molins Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1964-11-19
Filing date: 1965-11-16
Publication date: 1968-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 1985-07-23
Also published as: FR1454349A; GB1133096A

Description

July 23, 1968 J, ow cz 3,393,591

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STUBS PNEUMATICALLY Filed Nov. 16, 1965 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.|.

July 23, 1968 .1. A. RAKOWICZ 3,393,591

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STUBS PNEUMATICALLY Filed Nov. 16, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Li.

I Q U.

July 23, 1968 J. A. RAKOWICZ 3,393,591

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STUBS PNEUMATICALLY Filed Nov. 16, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 15 um l v United States Paten 1 3,393,591 v METHODS- AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STUBS PNEUMATICALLY I Jan Antoni Rakowicz, London, England, assignor to The Molins Organisation Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed Nov. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 508,032 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov.'19, 1964,

47,082/64 I I 22 Claims. (Cl. 83-27) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Stubs conveyed pneumatically inline endwise through one or more guide conduits are deposited in transverse channels in a conveyor so that the stubs are then arranged transversely of their direction of travel by feeding the stubs to one or more rotors in which they are given a sideways motion equal to the speed of the conveyor when transfer takes place. A pair of conduits may supply stubs to opposite ends of a rotor to be transferred laterally into the channels, or the stubs may be transferred endwise into the channels from a separate rotor for each conduit.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to methods and apparatus for feeding stubs pneumatically.

In the present specification the word 'I stub is intended to include any sort of mouthpiece portion for a cigarette (such as a piece of filtering material, or a hollow tube, or any other suitable piece of material (including tobacco which is different from the tobacco contained in the rest of the cigarette) or any combination of theforegoing) whether the length of the stub is the length required in a finished cigarette, or is a multiple of such length.

One general method of manufacturing mouthpiece cigarettes is to place between each pair of cigarette lengths a double-length mouthpiece portion, to unite thecigarette lengths and mouthpiece portion, and then to sever the resulting assemblage through the mouthpiece-portion to result in two mouthpiece cigarettes. T'his operation is carried out at high speeds, and the pairs ofcigarette lengths are conveniently arranged in two side-by-side' rows of cigarettes which are conveyed sideways of the cigarettes,

whilst a side-by-side row of double length stubs is conveyed to between the rows of cigarettes so that a double length stub is placed between each pair of cigarettes consisting of one cigarette in each row. Due to the high'rate of production necessary a number of pairs of cigarettes and associated stubs are operated on together, so that I successive pairs of cigarettes and stubs are simultaneously undergoing successive stages in the same operation. The

high speed involved also necessitates a relatively large is to convey the stubs pneumatically, in'line, and in the Y direction of their lengths, through at least 'oneguide conduit which is dimensioned internally to. constrain the stubs in end to end relation. Large numbers of stubs canhe conveyed at high speeds, very conveniently by this method,

both over very short distances, where the stub hopper may be on the machine making mouthpiece cigarettes, or over longer distances, Where the stub hopper may beremote from the machine. Plastic flexible 'pipes may conveniently be used for these purposes. I e

This solution introduces a difliculty at the point where the motion of the. stubs has to be converted from the lengthwise motionvmentioned above to a sideways motion'in a side-by-side row for each stub to be, placed between a pair of cigarettes. Normally, the side by side row of stubs is produced on a conveyor such as a fluted drum. Thus, the high lengthwise, speed of the line of stubs has to be converted into a high speed of a side-by-side row of stubs moving side-ways of the stubs.

It has previously been proposed to direct the line of stubs into line with the flutes in a fluted drum, and to allow each successive foremost stub to be urged forward to enter a flute lengthwise. With such anarrangement, the leading face of each stub is rubbed by the end face of the wall separatingtwo flutes as the fluted drum rotates to a position where an empty-flute is presented to the stub for it to enter. The greater the pitch of the flutes, the more pronounced this effect becomes since, for the same rate of removal of stubs, a longer end face of the wall separating successive flutes must rub past the foremost stub in the same time. The time available for the stub to move into the vacant flute is only the time that the fluite is in register with the end of the guide conduit, and increases in 'both the pitch of the stubs and the rate of stub removal reduce this time. A greater time interval can be made available by increasing the width of the flute i.e. by increasing the dimension of the flute in the direction of its travel, but this is liable to result in uneven pitches for the stubs due to their random positioning in the flutes.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of feeding stubs to positions spaced apart on an endless conveyor in the direction of its travel, and so that the stubs lie transversely of said direction of travel method comprises pneumatically conveying the stubs, in line, and in the direction of their lengths, substantially at right angles to the path of the conveyor, and causing each successive foremost stub, whilst still travelling in the direction of its length, to travel also laterally of its length in a curved path of progressively increasing radius, and at a progressively increasing peripheral speed, until the path of the foremost stub is closely adjacent to the path of the conveyor, and the peripheral speed of the stub is substantially equal to the speed of the conveyor, and is in the same direction, and then transferring each successive foremost stub at timed intervals to said conveyor.

Each successive foremost stub may be transferred laterally of itself on to the conveyor and pneumatic assistance may be provided for the transfer operation.

Further according to the present invention there is provided apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply thereof, and for receiving said stubs and conveying them sideways in a side-by-side row in which they are spaced apart comprising, means for removing stubs in succession from the supply thereof, and for feeding them endwise and in line into a guide conduit in which they are constrained to move only in their lengthwise direction, said guide condult ter-mlnating at a location adjacent to a conveyor having transverse channels spaced apart in the direction of travel of the conveyor e.g. a fluted drum, at which location the guide conduit is parallel with the conveyor channels, a rotor arranged with its axis in line with the end of the guide conduit, and having a passage on the axis of the rotor and communicating with the guide conduit at one end of the rotor to remove stubs from the conduit, said passage extending at a gradually increasing distance from the rotor axis to adjacent the conveyor where radially outer'end of the passage is equal thespee d of the conveyor, and meansoperable on each revolution'of' the rotor, when the passage is nearest to the conveyor, to transfer the foremost stub into a channel on the conveyor. The rotor may be arranged so that the path of the radially outer end of the passage is radially outside the path-of the conveyor, and in this case the rotor'will rotate in the opposite sense to the movement of-the convey-or (i.e. its rotation in the case of a fluted drum), the passage at its radially outer end having a "stop to arrest the lengthwise motion of the stub, and being open in the radially outward direction for the stub to be transferred laterally of itself into a channel of theconveyor.

More than one line of stubs may be fed to the conto-the conveyor, -a passage being provided in the rotor for each guide conduit, both passages extending towards the middle of the rotor where they are both open in the radially outward direction and have a stop member, the passages being diametrically opposite to each other.

The lateral transfer of the stubs may also be assisted by the provision of passages in the rotor which are supplied with air to blow the stubs out of the rotor.

To ensure or assist the lateral transfer of the stubs a stripper means may be provided for each rotor.

The supply of stubs may consist of stubs of multiples of double length, the longer stubs being subdivided into stubs of double length which are fed into the guide conduit.

Further according to the present invention, there is provided a method of feeding stubs from a supply of longer stubs, which comprises conveying said longer stubs sideways in a side-by-side row, subdividing each longer stub, separating laterally of their lengths the shorter stubs resulting from the subdivision to expose adjacent end faces of the stubs, and blowing against the said end face of one of said shorter stubs to feed it lengthwise of itself away from the bulk supply.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a method of feeding stubs to a plurality of sideby-side paths from a supply of longer stubs which comprises conveying said longer stubs sideways in a side-byside row, subdividing each longer stub into a line containing as many shorter stubs as there are paths, conveying the side-by-side row of lines of shorter stubs past the side-by-side row of paths so that each line comes into register with each path in succession, and blowing in succession the stub at the end of each line of stubs adjacent to the paths into the next succeeding path.

Further according to the present invention there is provided apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply of longer stubs which comprises a rotatable fluted drum to remove stubs from said supply and convey them sideways ina side-by-side row, means to subdivide each longer stub into shorter stubs, a shroud around part of said drum and spaced therefrom to allow the shorter stubs to move Further according to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply of longer stubs into a plurality of guide conduits, which comprises a rotatable fluted drum to remove stubs from said supply and convey them sideways in a side-by-side row, means to subdivide each longer stub into a line containing as many shorter stubs as there are guide con- "part=circular'side-by=side rowat--the lower part of said drum so that each flute comes into line with each guide conduit in succession, a pipe associated with each guide conduit to blow into the conduit the then foremost stub as the flute comes into line with each guide conduit in successioiifand means to restrain the s tubs"'beh'ind the then foremost stub. v v

' fl'h stubs behind the foremost stub maybe restrained by beingheld'into the base of the flute by a resilient roller, e.g. of Sorbo rubber. f L

1 One embodiment ofthe inventionwillnow be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of whichz I FIGURE 1 is an end elevation, with parts broken away, of a stub hopper which supplies tour guide conduits,

FIGURE 2,, is a front ;elevation,': partly -in section, of the stub hopper, and shows also two of the guide conduits feeding'ai-cornmon rotor which transfer stubs into afinted'd um, FIGURE 3' is a diagrammatic plan showing pneumatic meansfor feeding stubs from the hopper to the four conduits whichin turn supply two double rotors.

' FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 44 of FIGURE 3, FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 show the manner in which stubs 'are supplied to the second third and fourth conduits,

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing a second form of' rotor for transferring stubs into a fluted drum, .7

FIGURE 9 is a section on the line 99 of FIGURE 8, FIGURE 10 is 'a'view corresponding to FIGURE 8 showing a third form of rotor, FIGURE I1 is asectionon the line 1111 of FIG- URE' 10. i

FIGURES l and 2 show a stub hopper 10 comprising a container 11'for the bulk supply of stubs. Below the container 11 is a drum 12 which has flutes 12A. Each flutegreceives a multiple length stub from the container 11 as the drum'12 rotates, and carries thisv stub past three

rotatable knives

13,14 and 15 which extend into thre e of the circumferential grooves 12B provided in 'the drum 12."The stubs inthe'container 11 are eight times the lengthof astub required'in a mouthpiece cigarette, and thus the

knives

13, 14 and 15 subdivide eac'h'lon-g stub into four'double-length stubs. A serrated roller 11A brushes back stubs where the surface of the drum 12 leaves the container 11 and assists in loading the flutes. At the lower part ofthe' drum 12 there are four parallel guide conduits GC1, GC-2, GC3 and GC4 (see also FIGURE 3) which are spaced a flute pitch apart so that the flutes ofeach" group of foursuccessive flutes of the drum 12 become aligned with the guide conduits for each rotation of the drum through one flute pitch. p

4 A shroud 16 fextendsaround approximately half of the drum and consistso-f two parts 16 A and16B. The part 16A covers the curvedv surface of the drum' and the part 16B covers the ends of the flutes and is deeper in the region of the 'guide'conduits. The upstream ends of the guide" conduits where they enter the shroud 16B are enlarged iiith'e direction of travel of the drum to increase the "time-available for a stub to enter the guide "conduit. Associatedwiththe guide conduit GC1 are three

Sorb'orubbers rollers

17,18 and 1 9- mounted on a spindle 20 which is' f ree to'rotate'in supports 21 securedf to the shroud 16A. These three rollers areeacharranged to hold up andti'ap'against' the base of theflute one of the three stubs behind'the foremost stub'when each flute comes into use with'j'the guide conduit focirsimilari two Sorbotaupe; rollersZZ and gsmoumeden'a spindle are associated with the guidemconduit wC iC2J (see also FIGURE strain the tworearmost stubs .in line with that conduit, and single' roller 25, is associatedwith guide conduit 'GC3' to 'restrain the'rean mqst stub .in linewith 'co'rrdiiit G C3 (see also FIGURE 6). These rollersjare mut 3x h q atiqn l l rl l. 4 4- "flustin front'of the roller 17is a pipe 26 whichpro ttfudes throughthe shroud 16A and terminates in anozzle 26Aikhich fia'ces'to'wards the guide conduit GC1,'and similarlya pipe 27 protrudes through the shroud 1 6A just'infront of the roller 22 and terminates in a nozzle ZZAj'which faces towards the guide conduit GC2, and'a pipe'28 "protrudes through the 'shroud'16A just in front of the roller 25 and terminates in a nozzle 28A which faces towards the guide'conduit GC 3IA pipe 29' terminating in a 'no'zzle' 29A which faces towards the guidec'onduit' GC4 is" tjvided'behind' the drum and in line with tha'tcondu it fAliris suppliec l'continuo'uslyto the four

pipes

26, 27, 28"and"

29.The'nozzles

26A, 27A, 28A and 29A are inoreasedinwidth, asJshown in FIGURE l. I I

The stubsl'received in the flutes 12A ofthe drum 12 are treated in'thefollowin'g manner. 'As each octuple' length 's't'u'bfis' carried under'the knife 13 it is severed into two quadttiplelengthstubsfThe two quadruple length stubs iii'each 'flute are eachsevered'by the knives 14 and1 15 i'nt'ojtwodouble lengthstubs."Thus, "each flute leaving the knives 14..and" -15contains"a line of fourdouble length stu bsIWhen each flute'co'mes into line with the'guide c'onduit' GC1 the foremost stub, i.e., the one nearest to the "guide conduit, has fallen on to the shroud 16A, whilst the three stubs behind it are held up into the base of the flute by the

rollers

17, 18 and 19 and thus are restrained. The rear face of the foremost stub is partly exposed by this'action and, as it is unrestrained, it is blown into and along the guide conduit GC1 by the jet of air issuing from the nozzle 26A and impinging on its rear face. With continued rotation of the drum the next flute cornes'into line with theguide conduit GC1 and the foremost stub in that flute is also blown into the-guide conduit "GC1; Thus, as the drum 12 continues to rotate, the'foremost stub in each flute. is blown into the guide conduit GC1 as each flute comes into line with'that conduit. Atthe same time as this occurs the preceding flute now containing only three stubs comes into line with the guide conduit GC2. The now foremost s'tub falls on to the shroud 16A due to theabse nce at this location'of a roller corresponding to the roller 17, and'is 'blown into"arid along the guide conduit GC2 by the air jet from the nozzle 27A. This is repeated for each flute as it comes into line with the conduit GCZ'and thus all the stubs next succeeding the stub originally foremost are blown intqthe conduit GC2. Similarly, 'as each flute comes 'into line with the conduit GC3 the 'rearmost'of the two stubs remaining therein is held up into the base of the flute and restrained by the roller whilst the now foremost plug drops onto the shroud 1'6A and is blown into the guide conduit GC3 by the air jet from the nozzle 28A. The single stub remaining in each flute is-unrestrained when the flute comes into line with the guide conduit GC4 and is blown into and along that conduit by the jet of 'air from the'nozzle 29A. Thus the four stubs which were on'ginally in each flute are blown in 'successioninto the four guide'conduits, and an even feed of stubs into these conduits isproduced. As Will be seen inFIGURE l,' the ends of the'guide conduits GC1, GC2, GC3 and GC4 are increased in width to increase the time available for each stub to enter a conduit. I t "As may be seen from FIGURE 3, the guide conduits GC1 and GC2'extend to opposite ends ofa rotor 30, and the guide conduits GC3 and GC4 extend to opposite ends of a rotor 31. As [shown also in FIGURE 4,,these two rotors are similar and are arranged atangularly spaced positions around a fluted drum 32. The stubs are transferred laterally from the middles of the rotors 30 and 31 into the flutes of the drum 32. An enlarged sectional view of the rotor 30 is shown in FIGURE 2 and a section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 is shown in FIGURE 4. i The rotor 30 is arranged forrotation in

ball bearings

33, 34,35 and 36 in supporting structure, andis driven by' chains (not shown) and sprocket wheel's37 and 38.

Considering the right hand end of the rotor 30 as shown in FIGURE 2, the guide conduit Gclterrninates in-line with the 'axis of rotation of the rotor which is parallel with the flutes in the drum 32. Inside the rotor is a passage 38 formed by a pipe 38A which, at the outer end of the rotor, is onthe [rotor axis and therefore is in line with the guide conduit GC1, and also extends towards the other end of the rotor: at a gradually increasing distance from the rotor :axis. The right hand end of the pipe 38A is secured in the centre of the sprocket wheel 37, and the other end of the pipe 38A is secured in a circular plate 39 and spaced from its centre. The rotor body is formed by a tube 40, and members '41, 42 and 43 in the rotor support the pipe 38A at different distances from the axis of the rotor. The middle'portion of the rotor is formed by a drum 44 which contains two flutes 44A and 44B which are spaced 180 apart. The left hand end of the pipe 38A communicates with the flute 44A which forms the end of the passage 38. As can be seen from FIGURE 4, the flute 44A, and therefore the end of the passage 38, travels in a path closely adjacent to the path of the flutes in the fluted drum 32.'A pipe45 is secured in the sprocket Wheel 37 at a position spaced from the axis of the rotor, and with its end flush with the surface of the sprocket wheel 37, 'and extends through the members 41, 42, 43. At its other end it communicates with a passage 46 in the drum 44. Passages 46A, 46B and 46C extend from the base of the flute 44A to the passage 46. A stationary pipe 47 has its end sealed by the sprocket wheel 37 except for once in each revolution of the rotor 30 when it supplies air through the pipe 45 to the flute 44A. This occurs when the flute 44A is nearest to the fluted drum 32. The left hand part of the rotor is similar. The end of the guide conduit GC2 terminates on the axis of the rotor 30 and a passage 138 formed by a pipe 138A communicates with the guide conduit GC2 and extends to the flute 44B, terminating in a member 133, the pipe passing through

intermediate members

141, 142 and 143 in a cylindrical member 140. Similarly, a pipe 145 receives air from a pipe 147 once for each revolution of the rotor and supplies it to the flute 44B through a passage 146 and

passages

146A, 146B and 146C. In FIGURE 2 the rotor [is shown in the position where the flute 44B is closest to the druin 32 for air to be supplied to the flute 44B from the pipe 147.

Shown in FIGURE 4 are a shroud 48 which extends around the middle part of the rotor 30, i.e. around the drum 44, except adjacent to the drum 32, a shroud 49 which extends around part of the drum 32 and terminates in two fingers 49A which protrude into two circumferential channels 44C and 44D in the drum 44 to act as a stripper to assist in removing stubs from the flutes 44A and 44B, and another and similar shroud 50, the end of which acts as a stripper for the other rotor 31.

The rotor 31 is identical in construction to the rotor 30, and will not be further described. The drum 32 has nine flutes 32A which each have a short radial passage 3213 leading into them. Two stationary suction chambers 32C are provided, one adjacent each of the rotors 30 and 31 so that as a flute in the drum 32 comes opposite a rotor 30 or 31 to receive a stub suction is applied to the flute 32A by the passage 32B coming into communication with a suction chamber 320.

The rotors 30 and 31 are driven to rotate in the same direction and opposite to the direction of rotation of the drum 32. The pitch of the two flutes 44A and 44B in the rotor 30 is twice the pitch of the flutes 32A on the drum 32, and similarly for the rotor 31. The rotors 30 and 31 rotate at such a speed that the speed of their peripheries is the same as the speed of the periphery of the drum 32. The two rotors 30 and 31 are also situated so that the flutes in the rotor 30 come into register with one set of alternate flutes 32A in the drum 32, and the flutes in the rotor 31 come into register with the other alternate flutes 32A.

The operation of the rotors and 31 is as follows. A stream of double length stubs is blown along the guide conduit GC1 by the air from the nozzle 26A. Each stub as it enters the pipe 38A in the rotor is caused also to travel in a curved path due to the rotation of the rotor and the departure of the pipe 38A from the axis of the rotor. The foremost stub is blown into the flute 44A and has its lengthwise motion arrested by the member 139. Continued rotation of the rotor brings the flute 44A around until it is in the position occupied by the flute 44B in the figures, the stub being retained in the flute 44A by the shroud 48. The stub is then transferred into the flute 32A by the air from the pipe 47 and the pipe and

passages

46 and 46A, 46B and 46C, and is held into the flute 32A by the suction through the passage 3213. The stripper fingers are provided as a safeguard to make sure that the stub is transferred should the pneumatic transfer be insuflicient for some reason, rather than normally to carry out the transfer themselves.

At the same time, a stream of stubs is also being blown along the guide conduit GC2 into the pipe 138, the foremost plug at any instant being arrested in the flute 44B by the member 39 and carried around in the flute 44B until a half revolution of the rotor 30 after the transfer of the stub from the flute 44A the flute 44B comes into its closest position relative to the drum 32 and the stub is transferred in a similar manner into the next but one flute in the drum 32. The other alternate flutes 32A have already each had a stub placed in them by the rotor 31 which is receiving stubs from the guide conduits GC3 and GC4.

Thus, before a stub is transferred into a flute 32A from one of the rotors 30 and 31 the stub is already moving at the same lateral speed as it will have when in the flute 32A.

Thus, the drum 32 carries a row of stubs arranged sideby-side and spaced apart, and this row of stubs is then transferred in the normal manner for each stub to be inserted between a pair of cigarette lengths on another conveyor such as a further fluted drum.

In FIGURES 8 and 9 a modified form of rotor is shown. The single double-ended rotors 30 and 31 are replaced respectively by two coaxial pairs of rotors 230A, 23GB and 231A, 231B.

The rotor 230B is similar to the right hand part of the rotor 30 as shown in FIGURE 2. The fluted drum 44 is omitted and each successive foremost stub fed from the guide conduit GC1 into the pipe 3 8A, as in FIGURE 2, is received in a passage 231 in a block 232 which rotates with the rotor 230B. The passage 231 is a smaller diameter than the passage 38 and comes into line with a flute 32A of the drum 32 once per revolution. The rotor 230A is similar and receives stubs from the guide conduit GC2, and the rotors 231A and 231B receive stubs from the guide conduits GC4 and GC3 respectively.

The four rotors rotate in the same direction as the drum 32 and are of such a diameter, and rotate at such a speed, that when the passage 231 comes into line with a flute 32A they are travelling at substantially the same speed.

Each successive formost stub from the pipe 38A will be delivered into the passage 231 when the rotor is in such a position that the lengthwise motion of the stub is arrested by the drum 32. When the passage 231 comes into line with a flute 32A the stub in the passage 231 is accelerated by the air flow around it and travels lengthwise into the flute. As the passage 23 1 has a smaller crosssectional area than the passage 38A the foremost stub will be accelerated away from the succeeding stub, thus there will be a space between them, and the passage 231 will be out of line with the flute 32A when the next stub arrives at the end of the passage 231. This next stub will therefore hit the face of the drum 32 and will be carried around until the passage 231 comes into line with the flute next but three on the drum 32. Meanwhile,

a stub from guide conduit GC2 will have been put into the flute next but one on the drum 32 by'the rotor 230A, Stubs from guide conduits GC3 and GC4 are put into the other flutes in an exactly similar manner by the rotors 231A and 231B respectively. A shroud 250 holds the stub in the flutes 32A around the lower half of the drum 32, the stubs being transferred from the top .of the drum 32 as before.

By arranging the axes of the

rotors

230A, 230B, 231A and 231B within the periphery of the drum 32, and as the speeds of the passages 231 etc. in the rotors are the same as the speed of the flutes 32A, the maximum period of time for the transfer of each stub into a flute 32A will be obtained. g i

FIGURES 10 and 11 show a similar arrangement but with the axes of the rotors outside the periphery of the drum 32. In this case the drum and the rotors rotate in opposite directions, but again the speed of the passages, such as 231, and the flutes 32 are arranged to be the same, and each passage, such as 231, will be in register with a flute 32A for a relatively long period. In this arrangement the shroud 350 around the drum 32. has side members 350A in the region of the rotors to arrest the lengthwise motion of each successive foremost stub until the passages such as 231 are in line with a flute 32A.

Various changes or modifications in the details of. the apparatus described may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, the.

rollers

18, 19 and 23 may be omitted, as the

rollers

17,22, 25 serve to hold up the stub immediately behind the stub to be blown into one of the guide conduits so as to expose the rear face of each successive foremost stub to the propelling air jet.

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

1. A method of feeding stubs to positions spaced. apart on an endless conveyor in the direction of its travel, and so that the stubs lie transversely of said direction of travel, which method comprises pneumatically conveying the stubs, in line, and in the direction of their lengths, substantially at right angles to the path of the conveyor, and causing each successive foremost stub, whilst still traveling in the direction of its length, to travel also laterally of its length in a curved path of progressively increasing radius, and at a progressively increasing peripheral speed, until the path of the foremost stub is closely adjacent to the path of the conveyor, and the peripheral speed of the stub is substantially equal to the speed of the conveyor, and is in the same direction, and then transferring each successiveforemost stub at timed intervals to said conveyor.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each successive foremost stub istransferred laterally of itself to the conveyor; i

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein pneumatic assistance is provided for the transfer operation.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supply of stubs consists of stubs of multiples of double length which are subdivided into stubs of double length to be fed into the guide conduit. r

5. A method of feeding stubs from a supply of longer stubs, which comprises conveying said longer stubs sideways'in a side-by-side 'row, subdividing each longer stub, separating laterally of their lengths the shorter stubs resulting from the subdivision to expose adjacent end faces of the stubs, and blowing against the said end face of one of said shorter stubs to feed it lengthwise of itself away from the bulk supply.

6. A method of feeding stubs to a plurality of side byside paths from a supply of longer stubs which comprises conveying said longer stubs sideways in a side-by-side row, subdividing each longer. stub into a line containing as many shorter stubs as there are paths, conveying the side-by-side row of lines of shorter stubs past the side-by- .side row of paths so that each line comes into register with each path in succession, and blowing in succession the stub at the end of each line of stubs adjacent to the paths into the next succeeding path.

7. Apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply thereof, and for receiving said stubs and conveying them sideways in a side-by-side row in which they are spaced apart comprising, means for removing stubs in succession from the supply thereof, and for feeding them endwise and in line into a guide conduit in which they are constrained to move only in their lengthwise direction, said guide conduit terminating at a location adjacent to a conveyor having transverse channels spaced apart in the direction of travel of the conveyor, at which location the guide conduit is parallel with the conveyor channels, a rotor arranged with its axis in line with the end of the guide conduit, and having a passage on the axis of the rotor and communicating with the guide conduit at one end of the rotor to remove stubs from the conduit, said passage extending at a gradually increasing distance from the rotor axis to adjacent the conveyor where the passage is parallel with the rotor axis, rotation of the rotor causing the radially outer end of the passage to travel in a path closely adjacent to the conveyor, means to supply air to the guide conduit and the rotor to urge the stubs towards the ocnveyor, and means to drive the rotor at a rotational speed such that the speed of the radially outer end of the passage is equal to the speed of the conveyor, and means operable on each revolution of the rotor, when the passage is nearest to the conveyor, to transfer the foremost stub into a channel on the conveyor.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the path of the radially outer end of the passage is radially outside the path of the conveyor, and the rotor is arranged to rotate in the opposite sense to the movement of the conveyor, the passage at its radially outer end having a stop to arrest the lengthwise motion of the stub, the passage being open in the radially outward direction for the stub to be transferred laterally of itself into a channel of the conveyor.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein more than one line of stubs is fed to the conveyor, a guide conduit being provided for each line.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein further passages are provided in the rotor to be supplied with air to assist the lateral transfer of the stubs by blowing them out of the rotor.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising a stripper means for each rotor to assist in the lateral transfer of the stubs.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the rotor is provided at the side of the conveyor and is arranged so that the radially outer end of the passage comes into line with a channel of the conveyor on each revolution of the rotor so that the foremost stub in the passage is transferred lengthwise of itself into the channel.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the axis of the rotor is inside the path of the conveyor, and the rotor is arranged to rotate in the same sense as the movement of the conveyor.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the axis of the rotor is outside the path of the conveyor, and the rotor is arranged to rotate in the opposite sense to the movement of the conveyor.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein more than one line of stubs is fed to the conveyor, a guide conduit and a rotor being provided for each line of stubs.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein a rotor is provided on each side of the conveyor.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein a pair of rotors, one on each side of the conveyor have a common axis, and the radially outer end of the passage of one rotor of the pair is diametrically opposed to the radially outer end of the passage of the other rotor of the pair.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein there are two of said pairs of rotors, and the rotors of each pair supply a stub to alternate channels of one set of alternate channels of the conveyor, and the rotor-s of the other pair supply a stub to alternate channels of the other set of alternate channels of the conveyor.

19. Apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply of longer stubs which comprises a rotatable fluted drum to remove stubs from said supply and convey them sideways in a side-by-side row, means to subdivide each longer stub into shorter stubs, a shroud around part of said drum and spaced therefrom to allow the shorter stubs to move downwards from the bases of the flutes, a guide conduit at the lower part of said drum and situated so that the flutes come successively into line with it, and means to hold up into the base of the flute the stub behind the foremost stub when a flute comes into line with the guide conduit, so that the rear face of the foremost stub is exposed by said stub falling on to the shroud, and a pipe behind the rear face of said foremost stub to blow the stub into and along the guide conduit.

20. Apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply of longer stubs into a plurality of guide conduits, which comprises a rotatable fluted drum to remove stubs from said supply and convey them sideways in a side-by-side row, rneans to subdivided each longer stub into a line containing as many shorter stubs as there are guide conduits, the plurality of guide conduits being arranged in a part-circular side-'by-side row at the lower part of said drum so that each fiute comes into line with each guide conduit in succession, a pipe associated with each guide conduit to blow into the conduit the then foremost stub as the flute comes into line with each guide conduit in succession, and means to restrain the stubs behind the then foremost stub.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the stubs behind the foremost stub are restrained by being held into the base of the flute by a resilient roller.

22. Apparatus for feeding stubs from a supply thereof, and for receiving said stubs and conveying them sideways in a side-by-side row in which they are spaced apart, comprising, means for removing stubs in succession from the supply thereof, and for feeding them endwise and in line into each of two guide conduits in which they are constrained to move only in their lengthwise direction, a conveyor having transverse channels spaced apart in the direction of travel of the conveyor, said guide conduits terminating at locations adjacent to the conveyor and on opposite sides thereof, the ends of the guide conduits being directed towards each other on a common axis parallel with the conveyor channels, a rotor between the ends of the guide conduits and coaxially therewith and having two passages extending inwards from the outer ends of the rotor at a gradually increasing distance from the rotor axis to the middle of the rotor where they are parallel with the rotor axis and diametrically opposite to each other and are both open in the radially outward direction and have a stop member, each passage being on the axis of the rotor at the outer end thereof and communicating with the end of the adjacent guide conduit to receive stubs therefrom, means to drive the rotor at a rotational speed such that the speed of the passages at the middle of the rotor is equal to the speed of the conveyor, the rotor being so disposed in relation to the conveyor that the path of the passages at the middle of the rotor is closely adjacent to the conveyor, means to supply air to the guide conduits to urge the stubs towards the conveyor, and means operable on each revolution of the rotor when each passage is at its nearest to the conveyor to transfer laterally the foremost stub in the passage into a channel on the conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,988,402 6/ 196 1 Polcansky 302-2 3,062,588 11/1962 Molins et al. 302-2 3,222,110 12/ 1965 Kelly et -al 302-2 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.