US3433347A - Apparatus for feeding cigarettes - Google Patents

Apparatus for feeding cigarettes Download PDF

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Publication number
US3433347A
US3433347A US608586A US3433347DA US3433347A US 3433347 A US3433347 A US 3433347A US 608586 A US608586 A US 608586A US 3433347D A US3433347D A US 3433347DA US 3433347 A US3433347 A US 3433347A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
reservoir
cigarettes
articles
conveyor
chute
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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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US608586A
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English (en)
Inventor
Desmond Walter Molins
Alan Keith Mccombie
Ronald Sidney Charles Barton
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 US3433347A publication Critical patent/US3433347A/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

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a conveyor for supplying a continuous ow of articles such as cigarettes to one or more chutes. At least one reservoir is provided for receiving excess articles which back up when the conveyor feeds articles at a faster rate than the chute can receive them. The reservoir also serves to return articles to the conveyor when there is again room on it. A follower member in the reservoir responds to changes in the number of articles in the reservoir and is operatively connected to regulating means controlling the speed of the conveyor or to stop and start it. Mechanical means is provided for preventing changing of articles at the mouth of the chute.
  • This invention concerns improvements to article conveying systems and, in particular, to means by which the ow of articles can be regulated to accommodate small changes in the ow rate.
  • the invention Whilst the invention concerns article conveying systems in general, it is particularly suited to a conveying system in which cigarettes are moved in a direction transversely of their axes from cigarette making machines to one or more packing machines.
  • the mass of cigarettes are confined between two horizontally moving conveyor bands.
  • the lirst packing machine lies below the level of the bottom of the two bands and is provided with a vertical chute by which cigarettes can pass to it.
  • this chute is a vertical passage within which fits a rnember riding on top of the cigarettes.
  • This member rises or falls as cigarettes fill the passage or as their level drops.
  • the passage and the member form a reservoir of variable capacity.
  • an article conveying system comprising means to ⁇ confine a -ow of articles moving therethrough, a delivery outlet towards which said articles are moved, a -relief outlet yand a reservoir associated therewith said reservoir having a wall movable to vary its capacity and biased into engagement with said articles whereby disturbances in the ow of said articles can be accommodated.
  • apparatus for feeding cigarettes from a cigarette making machine or the like to a packing machine comprising a conveyor system for conveying cigarettes moving in a direction transverse to their axes, a hopper chute leading to said packing machine and adapted to receive cigarettes from said conveyor system, and a reservoir, one wall of which is variable so as to vary the capacity of the reservoir and is biased into engagement with the cigarettes.
  • FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of cigarette feeding apparatus.
  • FIGURE 2 is a plan of part of FIGURE 1.
  • FIGURE 3 is an alternative arrangement to that shown in FIGURE 1.
  • hopper chutes 1 and 2 lead directly to the hoppers of packing machines which are not illustrated.
  • a plurality of cigarette-making machines are linked to a plurality of packing machines.
  • the chute 2 leads to the last of these packing machines and the chute 1 to the penultimate machine. If there are only two packing machines then the chute 1 belongs to the first machine and the chute 2 to the second.
  • Cigarettes from the plurality of cigarette-making machines rest on -a conveyor band 3 by which they are conveyed in the direction indicated by ⁇ arrow 5.
  • a top conveyor band 4 moving in the direction of arrow 6 assists this conveyance, the two bands forming a conveyor complex.
  • This reservoir extends in an upward direction with its left hand wall 9 abutting pulley 10, of the conveyor 4, which is normally synchronised with conveyor 3.
  • Right hand walls 12 and 13 of the chute 1 and the reservoir 8 respectively are immediately adiacent to pulleys 14 and 15.
  • These pulleys 14 and 15 are the tail pulleys of further conveyor complex, i.e., bands 16 and 17 respectively, which move in the same general direction as the conveyors 3 and 4 as indicated by arrows 18 and 19.
  • the conveyor bands 16 and 17 are driven by driving pulleys 2G and 21 respectively.
  • Adjacent the pulley 20 is the chute 2 leading in a downward direction to the last packing machine and having confining walls 22 and 23.
  • Above the chute 2 is an associated reservoir shown generally as 24 and provided with side walls 25 and 26.
  • a shaped plate 27 Joining the walls 23 and 26 is a shaped plate 27 which is pierced in two places to allow a flexible strip 28 to be threaded therethrough.
  • the bottom of the strip 28 is secured by means of a spring 35 to an lanchor 29 while the top is bolted at 30 to a bell crank lever 31 which pivots about a pin 32, being actuated by a hexagonal cam 33 bearing against roller 34.
  • the cam 33 On rotation of the cam 33 the strip 28 forms a pulsating surface.
  • a fioat 36 movable within the walls 9 and 13 rests on top of the cigarettes which, in general, are passing from the conveyor 3 to the conveyor 16 over a bridge formed by the cigarettes in chute 1, which may or may not be moving down the chute.
  • the bottom of the float forms a movable wall to the reservoir 8.
  • Behind the float 36 as seen when looking at FIGURE 1 is a rotary pick-off 37, its rotor having an extended spindle 38 to which is iixed an arm 39.
  • the upstanding end of the arm 39 passes through an opening 40 in a plate 41 fixed to the float 36 by means of screw 42.
  • a further float 43 which is slidable within the walls 25 and 26 rests on top of the cigarettes which ultimately move downwards into the chute 2.
  • the ⁇ bottom of this fioat 43 also forms a movable wall in the reservoir 24.
  • Attached to the float 43 is a face 44 inclined at an angle to the vertical which is, of course, the path along which the float 43 is movable. Riding on the face 44 is a roller 45 of a microswitch 46.
  • FIGURES 1 and 2 The operation of the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is as follows. Suicient cigarettes to keep the two packing machines fed from the chutes 1 and 2 are carried by the conveyor 3 in the direction of the arrow 5. This conveying is assisted by the other conveyor 4 of the conveyor complex, the bottom run of which moves in the same direction as the top run of the conveyor 3. The arrangement permits a definite quantity of cigarettes to be fed for any band speed of the two conveyors 3 and 4.
  • the servo system causes the variable speed drive to the conveyors 3 and 4 to be reduced. Reduction in speed of the conveyors 3 and 4 leads to equilibrium whereby the supply is matched by the total demand from the two packing machines. This equilibrium is achieved however with the float 36 remaining in its higher position.
  • the reservoir 24 located above the chute 2 operates rather differently.
  • the rise and fall of the float 43 therein again caused by pressure of cigarettes rising or falling, operates a simple on-otf microswitch which is connected to the drive units of the pulleys 20 and 21.
  • the conveyors 16 and 17 are either conveying or stopped.
  • condition Y comes into force.
  • pressure of cigarettes being fed along route (b) i.e., between the conveyors 16 and 17 causes the fioat 43 to rise and the reservoir 24 itself to be filled.
  • the roller 45 of the microswitch 46 moves to the left (as seen when facing FIGURE 1) until at a predetermined position contact is broken in the microswitch and the drives to the pulleys 20 and 21 discontinue thereby stopping the conveyors 16 and 17.
  • chutes 1 and 2 At the top of the chutes 1 and 2 it is possible that the cigarettes jam in what might be considered as the throat of the chute. Such a jam results in a bridge forming, below which the chute is starved and above which other cigarettes are supported. To prevent this happening the far side of the chute (considered in the direction in which cigarettes are being conveyed) is provided with a movable (i.e., rotating or oscillating) portion.
  • this portion is the return pulley 14 while for the chute 2 it is the flexible strip 28 which is caused to move upwards against the action of the spring 35 by the cam 33 and the bell crank lever 31.
  • FIGURE 3 shows variations in the details of the jamfreeing mechanism.
  • the return roller 14 is moved to the right and an additional roller 51 is supplied. This rotates, usually in an anticlockwise direction, and possesses the advantage over the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 that it is always rotating even when the conveyor 16 is stopped.
  • a similar anticlockwise rotating roller 52 replaces the strip 28.
  • the advantage lies in that the roller 52 is always rotating whereas the strip 28 is intermittently operated and after each operation moves downwards to its original position.
  • the arrangement in FIGURE 3 helps to eliminate both these faults.
  • pulley 51 is rotating in an anti-clockwise direction (as seen when looking at FIG- URE 3). This together with similar direction of rotation of the pulleys and 15 tends to cause those cigarettes in the middle of the cross-roads to assume, in addition to their other movements an anticlockwise vortical movement which is considered to help in maintaining control of the cigarettes.
  • An article conveying system comprising conveyor means to convey and confine a flow of articles along a ow path, article-receiving means towards which articles in said ow path are conveyed, a reservoir to receive articles and located adjacent said flow path, means dening an opening to said reservoir by which the reservoir communicates with said ilow path, said opening enabling articles to move into the reservoir from the ow path and into the flow path from the reservoir, said reservoir including a pair of substantially parallel side walls extending transversely of the ow path and a back wall between said side walls movable towards and away from said opening to vary the capacity of the reservoir, thereby to accommodate in the reservoir fluctuations in the ow rate of said articles.
  • An article conveying system comprising sensing means to detect said iluctuations in the tlow rate of said articles.
  • sensing means is responsive to movement of said movable wall caused by fluctuations in the flow rate of said articles, and is operative to control the conveyor means to vary the ow rate of said articles, said movable ⁇ wall being Ibiased to engage articles in the reservoir and to be moved thereby.
  • An article conveying system further comprising a passage communicating with said ow path to receive articles therefrom and through which articles can pass to said article-receiving means.
  • An article conveying system including a passage having an entrance communicating y with said flow path to receive articles therefrom, and through which articles can pass to said article-receiving means and means adjacent said entrance to prevent choking of articles entering said passage comprising a member and means to pulsate said member.
  • An article-conveying system comprising conveyor means to convey and confine a flow of articles along a flow path, article-receiving means towards which articles in said ow path are conveyed, at least two reservoirs to receive articles and located adjacent said ow path, means defining an opening to each of said reservoirs by which each reservoir communicates with said flow path, each of said openings enabling articles to move into each reservoir from the ow path and into the ⁇ flow path from each reservoir, each of said reservoirs including a wall movable towards and away from said opening to vary the capacity of the reservoir, thereby to accommodate in the reservoir fluctuations in the flow rate of said articles, and a passage juxtaposed to the opening to 6 each of said reservoirs communicating with said ow path to receive articles therefrom and through which articles can pass to said article-receiving means.
  • An article conveying system for conveying articles to a plurality of packing machines wherein each said passage constitutes a hopper chute leading to a packing machine.
  • a conveyor system for conveying cigarettes from at least one cigarette-making machine to at least one packing machine comprising conveyor means to convey cigarettes in a direction transverse to their axes, at least one hopper chute leading to a packing machine and arranged to receive cigarettes from said conveyor means, and at least one reservoir located adjacent said conveyor means and having an opening through which cigarettes can move into and out of the reservoir from and to said conveyor means, said reservoir comprising a pair of substantially parallel side walls extending transversely of said conveyor means and a back wall between said side walls capable of moving towards and away from said opening to vary the capacity of the reservoir, thereby to accommodate in the reservoir fluctuations in the rate at which cigarettes are conveyed by said conveyor means.
  • a conveyor system for conveying cigarettes from at least one cigarette-making machine to a plurality of packing machines comprising conveyor means to convey cigarettes in a direction transverse to their axes, hopper chutes, one for each packing machine, extending downwardly from said con-veyor means to receive cigarettes therefrom, at least one reservoir located above said conveyor means in juxtaposition to a hopper chute, said reservoir having an opening communicating with said conveyor means which constitutes the sole entrance to and exit from the reservoir enabling cigarettes to enter the reservoir from said conveyor means and to return from the reservoir to said conveyor means, said reservoir comprising a pair of substantially parallel side walls extending transversely of said conveyor means and a back wall between said side walls capable of moving towards and away from said opening to vary the capacity of the reservoir, thereby t-o accommodate in the reservoir fluctuations in the rate at which cigarettes are conveyed by said conveyor means.
  • An article-conveying system comprising conveyor means to convey and confine a flow of articles along a flow path, article-receiving means towards which articles in said flow path are conveyed, a passage having an entrance communicating with said ilow path to receive articles therefrom and through which articles can pass to said article-receiving means, a rotatable member having a cylindrical surface adjacent said entrance to pre- 7 8 vent choking of articles entering said passage, a reservoir References Cited to receive articles and located adjacent said flow path, UNITED STATES PATENTS means dening an opening to said reservoir lby which 2,745,537 5/1956 Cadman 198-69 X the reservoir communicates wlth said ⁇ ilow path, sald 3,062,393 11/1962 Bond 214 17 Opening enabling articles to move into the reservoir from 5 the flow path and into the ow path from the reservoir, 3341036 9/1967 Bardenhagen 214-17 said reservoir including a wall movable towards and EDWARD A SROKA, primary Emmi-n

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  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
  • Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
US608586A 1966-01-14 1967-01-11 Apparatus for feeding cigarettes Expired - Lifetime US3433347A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0952/66A GB1175201A (en) 1966-01-14 1966-01-14 Improvements to Apparatus for Feeding Cigarettes.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3433347A true US3433347A (en) 1969-03-18

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US608586A Expired - Lifetime US3433347A (en) 1966-01-14 1967-01-11 Apparatus for feeding cigarettes

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US (1) US3433347A (de)
DE (1) DE1481351B2 (de)
FR (1) FR1509322A (de)
GB (1) GB1175201A (de)
SE (1) SE343810B (de)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3535069A (en) * 1969-03-12 1970-10-20 Molins Machine Co Ltd Apparatus for feeding cigarettes
US3561585A (en) * 1968-05-10 1971-02-09 Molins Machine Co Ltd Article handling apparatus
US3625340A (en) * 1968-05-10 1971-12-07 Molins Machine Co Ltd Article-handling apparatus
US3707223A (en) * 1970-09-18 1972-12-26 Brex Corp Anti-bridging means for bulk fruit feed supply
US3885683A (en) * 1972-06-21 1975-05-27 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Apparatus for temporary storage and transport of cigarettes or the like
US4099608A (en) * 1968-11-14 1978-07-11 Molins Machine Company Limited Apparatus for feeding articles
US4120391A (en) * 1972-10-27 1978-10-17 Molins Limited Conveyor systems for cigarettes and other rod-like articles
US4142622A (en) * 1976-04-12 1979-03-06 G.D. Societa Per Azioni Storage unit for compensating production imbalances between cigarette-manufacturing machines and a packeting machine
US4339025A (en) * 1968-11-14 1982-07-13 Molins, Ltd. Apparatus for feeding articles
US5617701A (en) * 1993-09-20 1997-04-08 G.D. Societa' Per Azioni System for producing and packing tobacco items, particularly cigarettes
US6209715B1 (en) 1999-01-22 2001-04-03 Frank A. Eltvedt Conveyor belt tensioning and tracking systems

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
BE741441A (de) * 1968-11-14 1970-04-16
GB1303653A (de) * 1969-02-14 1973-01-17
GB1339886A (en) * 1969-11-26 1973-12-05 Molins Machine Co Ltd Apparatus for unloading cigarettes or similar rod-like articles

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2745537A (en) * 1951-02-07 1956-05-15 Gardner Machine Co Continuous feed mechanism
US3062393A (en) * 1960-10-18 1962-11-06 Glen Raven Cotton Mills Inc Feeding regulator for textile fibers
US3341036A (en) * 1963-10-25 1967-09-12 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Apparatus for manipulating rod shaped articles

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2745537A (en) * 1951-02-07 1956-05-15 Gardner Machine Co Continuous feed mechanism
US3062393A (en) * 1960-10-18 1962-11-06 Glen Raven Cotton Mills Inc Feeding regulator for textile fibers
US3341036A (en) * 1963-10-25 1967-09-12 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Apparatus for manipulating rod shaped articles

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3561585A (en) * 1968-05-10 1971-02-09 Molins Machine Co Ltd Article handling apparatus
US3625340A (en) * 1968-05-10 1971-12-07 Molins Machine Co Ltd Article-handling apparatus
US4099608A (en) * 1968-11-14 1978-07-11 Molins Machine Company Limited Apparatus for feeding articles
US4339025A (en) * 1968-11-14 1982-07-13 Molins, Ltd. Apparatus for feeding articles
US3535069A (en) * 1969-03-12 1970-10-20 Molins Machine Co Ltd Apparatus for feeding cigarettes
US3707223A (en) * 1970-09-18 1972-12-26 Brex Corp Anti-bridging means for bulk fruit feed supply
US3885683A (en) * 1972-06-21 1975-05-27 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Apparatus for temporary storage and transport of cigarettes or the like
US4120391A (en) * 1972-10-27 1978-10-17 Molins Limited Conveyor systems for cigarettes and other rod-like articles
US4142622A (en) * 1976-04-12 1979-03-06 G.D. Societa Per Azioni Storage unit for compensating production imbalances between cigarette-manufacturing machines and a packeting machine
US5617701A (en) * 1993-09-20 1997-04-08 G.D. Societa' Per Azioni System for producing and packing tobacco items, particularly cigarettes
US6209715B1 (en) 1999-01-22 2001-04-03 Frank A. Eltvedt Conveyor belt tensioning and tracking systems
US6279733B2 (en) 1999-01-22 2001-08-28 Frank A. Eltvedt Conveyor belt tensioning and tracking systems

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1481351A1 (de) 1969-02-06
SE343810B (de) 1972-03-20
GB1175201A (en) 1969-12-23
DE1481351B2 (de) 1978-08-03
FR1509322A (fr) 1968-01-12

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