US3625226A - Counting and marking device - Google Patents

Counting and marking device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3625226A
US3625226A US9096A US3625226DA US3625226A US 3625226 A US3625226 A US 3625226A US 9096 A US9096 A US 9096A US 3625226D A US3625226D A US 3625226DA US 3625226 A US3625226 A US 3625226A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
objects
marking
counting
circuit means
cigarettes
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
Application number
US9096A
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English (en)
Inventor
Jacques Flesselles
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.)
Societe Nationale dExploitation Industrielle des Tabacs et Allumettes SAS
Original Assignee
Societe Nationale dExploitation Industrielle des Tabacs et Allumettes SAS
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Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06M—COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06M7/00—Counting of objects carried by a conveyor
    • 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
    • A24C5/32—Separating, ordering, counting or examining cigarettes; Regulating the feeding of tobacco according to rod or cigarette condition
    • A24C5/321—Counting means
    • 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
    • A24C5/60—Final treatment of cigarettes, e.g. marking, printing, branding, decorating
    • A24C5/601—Marking, printing or decorating cigarettes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06M—COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06M1/00—Design features of general application
    • G06M1/08—Design features of general application for actuating the drive
    • G06M1/10—Design features of general application for actuating the drive by electric or magnetic means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06M—COUNTING MECHANISMS; COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06M1/00—Design features of general application
    • G06M1/08—Design features of general application for actuating the drive
    • G06M1/10—Design features of general application for actuating the drive by electric or magnetic means
    • G06M1/101—Design features of general application for actuating the drive by electric or magnetic means by electro-optical means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus which is designed for the purpose of counting and marking objects produced by the cutting of a continuous rod which passes out of a forming or making machine and in particular for the purpose of counting and marking cigarettes produced by a machine for forming or making cigarettes in a continuous roll or rod of cut tobacco.
  • the counting of cigarettes in unitary sequence permits the possibility of obtaining useful information in order to ensure regularity of operation of the machine.
  • the control of regularity often makes it necessary to determine the value of the mean weight, either in order to set the machine to a given weight or in order to examine the dispersion of collective weights.
  • the said mean weights can be measured in respect of batches of 100 cigarettes, for example.
  • experience has proved that the longest part of the operation is not the weighing itself but the continuous batching of exactly 100 cigarettes.
  • the operation which consists in positioning these cigarettes in the tray has always been time consuming. lt is thus difficult to achieve minute-by-minute batching. This in turn gives rise to substantial drawbacks when it proves necessary to adjust the weight of objects produced by a machine to a predetermined value. Valuable time is thus lost on account of the handling operations which have been described above.
  • the apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a reflecting detector in which the axis of the projector and the axis of thephotodiode define a vertical plane, and which is mounted onthe forming machine in such manner that said vertical plane is at right angles to the axes of the objects to be counted along the rectilineal path which said objects follow after cutting of the continuous rod from which said objects are derived.
  • a device of this type can readily be fitted in position without which have previously been counted one by one.
  • the apparatus permits marking of any number of cigarettes which follow one another in consecutive order, and not necessarily only a last one of a batch.
  • the marking means in accordance with the invention consists of a marker of the electromagnetic type which is actuated by pulses produced by means which are coupled to the totalizer of the counting system.
  • a marking unit with the above-mentioned counter, which unit is actuated each time a certain desired number of objects, such as cigarettes, has passed the detecting device, in order to place a mark on such object, for example on the wrapper type, so that the total number of objects between two marked ones represent a standard batch of objects, for example, of cigarettes, which may then be taken off the conveyor at the receiving end, to be weighed, for instance.
  • the marker can be constituted by an electromagnet with an adjustable core carrying a tracing element which is preferably detachable and coupled to said core by a flexible means forming a damping device.
  • the pulse which actuates the marker coil can be produced by a capacitor discharge in the winding circuit of said marker by virtue of the closure of a first switch comprising a relay which is controlled by the opening of a second switch, said second switch being actuated by a mechanical device such as a drum of the cam or stud type which is coupled to the totalizer of the counting system.
  • the marker in the case of the marking of wrapped objects such as cigarettes, is preferably mounted on the path of the band of paper or like material which forms the wrapper, and is mounted upstream with respect to the machine for forming said objects. This mode of assembly makes it possible to prevent any damaging of said objects.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus
  • FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the counting detector with a part in sectional view.
  • FIG. 3 is a detail diagram of the counting and supply circuits of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the marking device. I
  • the installation which is illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a cigarette-making machine 1 which delivers an uninterrupted rod 2' from which a flow 2 ofcigarettes is cut.
  • a reflecting detector 3 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
  • the detector 3 is connected by the lead wires 4 and ,4 to the input circuit l which controls a counter (see FIG. 3).
  • the said control is performed through the intermediary of an electronic decatron tube (valve) circuit ll and oftheelectromechanical counter circuit Ill, the supply of current to all the circuits 1, ll and Ill being effected by the circuit lV, all of these circuits being described in greater detail hereinafter.
  • the counting detector- 3 comprises (as shown in FIG. 2), mounted in a casing 8, on the one hand, a projector 9 which can be set at a variable angle of inclination by means of the elongated slot 10 and the screw 11 and, on the other hand, a photodiode 12.
  • the detector 3 is mounted in the vicinity of the output of the machine 1 in such manner that the axis of the projector 9 and of the diode 12 are in a plane at right angles to the path of the cigarettes 2 and converge on these latter, in such a manner that the cigarettes play the part of convex cylindrical mirrors for the beam of rays emitted by the projector 9 and reflected towards the diode l2.
  • This input circuit l consists of two tubes (valves) l3, l4 and serves for the purpose of providing a square wave shape for the pulses which are transmitted by the diode 12.
  • the circuit ll consists of an electronic decatron counter tube (valve) 15 similar to the one mentioned in U.S. Pat. 2,516,915 and otherwise commercially obtainable which records the pulses received from the input circuit l and which, at each electronic decade, that is, at l0...l00...l,000, energizes the electromechanical counter 16 of circuit lll through the intermediary of the amplifier tube (valve) 17.
  • the supply circuit lV comprises a transfonner 18, a series of rectifiers 19, the filter circuits 20, energized circuit 21 and supply circuit 22 of the projector 9 to which said supply circuit is connected through the lead wire 23.
  • circuits I, ll, Ill and IV of the counter is enclosed in a box 24.
  • the marker 6 (as shown in FIG. 4) comprises an electromagnet 25 with coil 26 and adjustable core 27.
  • a return spring 28 is interposed between the frame of the electromagnet 25 and a flange 29 of the core 27. The said spring constantly urges the core to the withdrawn position.
  • a marking element for example a pencil 30 (shown merely schematically in FIG. 1 and in more detail in FIG. 4) is slidably mounted in the sleeve 31 which is inserted in the frame 25 and is coupled to the adjustable core 27 through the intermediary of a spring 32 which serves as a damping device.
  • the said spring 32 is secured at one end to the stud 33 of the pencil 30 and at the other end to a stud 34 formed on the end of a threaded rod 35 which is positionally adjustable by screwing or unscrewing and which is locked by means of the locknut 36.
  • the operation of the marker6 is controlled by a circuit V consisting of a drum 37 comprising a stud 38 which is made fast for rotation with one of the drums of the summation counter 7.
  • the stud 38 is designed to operate a switch 39 which is mounted in the circuit of a coil 40 similar to the coil 26.
  • the contact blade 41 which is returned by the spring 42 serves as a changeover switch for the purpose of charging a capacitor 43 and discharging this latter in the circuit of the coil 26 of the marker 6.
  • a system Vl comprising a manual switch 44 (with pushbutton), an automatic switch 45 and signal lamp 46 controls the supply to the marker.
  • the cigarettes can be spaced apart by approximately 10 millimeters, for example. Taking into account the time of passage of said cigarettes and of said separation interval, the detector which is energized as each cigarette passes transmits to the counting system pulses which will have, for example, a length of thirty-eight thousandths of a second and which are separated from each other by an interval of approximately six thousandths of a second.
  • the pulses control the electronic decatron tube (valve) 15 of the circuit ll and the number which is indicated by said tube increases each time by one unit.
  • the electromechanical counter 16 When the number indicated by the tube 15 has increased by ten units, the electromechanical counter 16 is nergized and moves forward by one step, thereby actuating in its turn the summation counter 7 which indicates the total number of cigarettes which has passed in front of the detector 3.
  • drum 37 which is designed accordingly.
  • the pulse which is sent into the coil 26 initiates the sudden displacement of the core 27 and therefore of the pencil 30 which accordingly strikes the band of paper 5 and leaves an indication mark thereon.
  • detector means for detecting the passage of substantially cylindrical objects conveyed on a path following the axis thereof, such as objects produced by the cutting of a substantially cylindrical rod, comprising a source of light disposed for providing the beam of light from said source in a plane perpendicular to said axis and for directing said beam towards the lateral surface of said object,
  • a photoconductor disposed for receiving said light emanating from said source of said light and being reflected by said lateral surface, said photoconductor being illuminated during the passage of each one of said objects, said light beam incident on said photoconductor being interrupted at each passage of a gap between two successive objects, a counting device having a summation counter actuated by pulses provided by said detector, for counting the passage of said cylindrical objects along said axis at a predetermined point and providing a signal when a predetermined quantity of said cylindrical objects have passed said predetermined point, and an electromagnetic marking unit actuated by said summation counter through said signal for applying a mark on said predetermined surface to indicate the passage of said predetermined quantity past said point through actuation of said summation counter.
  • said marking unit comprising an adjustable core, a marking element and a damping means coupling said marking element to said core.
  • a rotating cam-drum coupled to said summation counter, a first circuit means comprising a capacitor, a second circuit means, said capacitor alternately connectable with a source of electric current and with said second circuit means, an electromagnetic marking unit comprising a control winding coupled in series to said second circuit means, and switch means actuated by said cam-drum for connecting alternately said capacitor with said source of electric current for charging said capacitor and with said second circuit means for discharging said capacitor in said control winding thereby actuating said marking unit.
  • an apparatus for counting and marking wrapped objects produced by the cutting of a continuous rod for cigarettes, comprising a machine to make said continuous rod, means to feed a band of wrapping material to said machine for wrapping said objects after being cut from said continuous rod, said objects being spaced from each other after being cut from said continuous rod, a photoelectric cell emitting pulses corresponding to the spacing between said objects, and a counting device having a totalizer actuated by said pulses, an electric circuit means controlled by said totalizer, and an electromagnetic marking unit actuated by said electric circuit means and mounted on the path of said band of wrapping material to mark said band in the upstream portion of said machine.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)
US9096A 1962-11-23 1970-02-09 Counting and marking device Expired - Lifetime US3625226A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR916432A FR1350719A (fr) 1962-11-23 1962-11-23 Procédé et appareil destinés au comptage et au repérage d'objets produits par une machine à confectionner, notamment des cigarettes

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3625226A true US3625226A (en) 1971-12-07

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ID=8791458

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US9096A Expired - Lifetime US3625226A (en) 1962-11-23 1970-02-09 Counting and marking device

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3625226A (en:Method)
BE (1) BE640329A (en:Method)
CH (1) CH425585A (en:Method)
DE (1) DE1295442B (en:Method)
FR (1) FR1350719A (en:Method)
GB (2) GB1070976A (en:Method)
LU (1) LU44862A1 (en:Method)
NL (1) NL300885A (en:Method)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3809864A (en) * 1971-11-01 1974-05-07 Pentron Industries Distance event marker
US3828796A (en) * 1972-12-20 1974-08-13 Brown & Williamson Tobacco Cigarette cutoff and filter tip attachment registration apparatus
EP0042763A1 (en) * 1980-06-23 1981-12-30 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Method and apparatus for counting articles travelling in a continuous stream
US5506876A (en) * 1995-06-26 1996-04-09 Homer; John W. Counting and marking device
US5670873A (en) * 1993-01-22 1997-09-23 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd Rotational speed sensor with membrane
US6103013A (en) * 1998-04-09 2000-08-15 Philip Morris Incorporated Marker inserting device for web converting apparatus
US6691493B1 (en) * 1999-09-30 2004-02-17 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Method of and apparatus for encoding and recording identifying indicia for arrays of rod-shaped commodities
US20060138073A1 (en) * 2004-12-16 2006-06-29 Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. Plastic cap featuring excellent sealing and venting
US20060293157A1 (en) * 2003-09-12 2006-12-28 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Method and apparatus for incorporating objects into cigarette filters
RU2365316C2 (ru) * 2004-04-07 2009-08-27 Бритиш Америкэн Тобэкко (Джемени) Гмбх Способ и устройство для маркировки одного или нескольких курительных изделий и упаковка для курительных изделий, содержащая одно или несколько маркированных курительных изделий

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1112687A (en) * 1965-03-12 1968-05-08 Schmermund Alfred Improvements in or relating to arrangements for testing blocks of cigarettes

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1393525A (en) * 1919-11-04 1921-10-11 Endless Belt Corp Inc Counting mechanism
US1998132A (en) * 1929-08-10 1935-04-16 Radio Patents Corp Means for controlling machines
US2516915A (en) * 1946-10-03 1950-08-01 Int Standard Electric Corp Gaseous discharge device
US2526441A (en) * 1940-07-05 1950-10-17 Westinghouse Electric Corp Production counter having count predetermining control means
US2594337A (en) * 1947-07-19 1952-04-29 Kidde Mfg Co Inc Counting machine
FR1220846A (fr) * 1958-12-05 1960-05-27 Perfectionnements aux machines à compter
GB866213A (en) * 1957-01-25 1961-04-26 Gordon Francis Wellington Powe A detector device suitable for use with cigarette-making machines
US2999520A (en) * 1958-01-03 1961-09-12 Industrial Nucleonics Corp Cigarette rod cutter and cigarette counter
US3016464A (en) * 1959-06-10 1962-01-09 Daystrom Inc Apparatus for determining the location and thickness of a reflecting object
US3180994A (en) * 1961-10-13 1965-04-27 Owens Illinois Glass Co Method and apparatus for inspecting glass containers

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE487693C (de) * 1928-07-12 1929-12-12 Muller J C & Co Verfahren zum Aussondern von Zigaretten
DE703646C (de) * 1935-10-01 1941-03-13 Siemens & Halske Akt Ges Lichtelektrische Sortiervorrichtung
US2908825A (en) * 1956-12-10 1959-10-13 Midwest Automatic Control Co Photoelectric counter

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1393525A (en) * 1919-11-04 1921-10-11 Endless Belt Corp Inc Counting mechanism
US1998132A (en) * 1929-08-10 1935-04-16 Radio Patents Corp Means for controlling machines
US2526441A (en) * 1940-07-05 1950-10-17 Westinghouse Electric Corp Production counter having count predetermining control means
US2516915A (en) * 1946-10-03 1950-08-01 Int Standard Electric Corp Gaseous discharge device
US2594337A (en) * 1947-07-19 1952-04-29 Kidde Mfg Co Inc Counting machine
GB866213A (en) * 1957-01-25 1961-04-26 Gordon Francis Wellington Powe A detector device suitable for use with cigarette-making machines
US2999520A (en) * 1958-01-03 1961-09-12 Industrial Nucleonics Corp Cigarette rod cutter and cigarette counter
FR1220846A (fr) * 1958-12-05 1960-05-27 Perfectionnements aux machines à compter
US3016464A (en) * 1959-06-10 1962-01-09 Daystrom Inc Apparatus for determining the location and thickness of a reflecting object
US3180994A (en) * 1961-10-13 1965-04-27 Owens Illinois Glass Co Method and apparatus for inspecting glass containers

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3809864A (en) * 1971-11-01 1974-05-07 Pentron Industries Distance event marker
US3828796A (en) * 1972-12-20 1974-08-13 Brown & Williamson Tobacco Cigarette cutoff and filter tip attachment registration apparatus
EP0042763A1 (en) * 1980-06-23 1981-12-30 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Method and apparatus for counting articles travelling in a continuous stream
US5670873A (en) * 1993-01-22 1997-09-23 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd Rotational speed sensor with membrane
US5506876A (en) * 1995-06-26 1996-04-09 Homer; John W. Counting and marking device
US6103013A (en) * 1998-04-09 2000-08-15 Philip Morris Incorporated Marker inserting device for web converting apparatus
US6691493B1 (en) * 1999-09-30 2004-02-17 Hauni Maschinenbau Ag Method of and apparatus for encoding and recording identifying indicia for arrays of rod-shaped commodities
US20040107674A1 (en) * 1999-09-30 2004-06-10 Gottfried Von Bismarck Method of and apparatus for encoding and recording identifying indicia for arrays of rod-shaped commodities
US20060293157A1 (en) * 2003-09-12 2006-12-28 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Method and apparatus for incorporating objects into cigarette filters
RU2365316C2 (ru) * 2004-04-07 2009-08-27 Бритиш Америкэн Тобэкко (Джемени) Гмбх Способ и устройство для маркировки одного или нескольких курительных изделий и упаковка для курительных изделий, содержащая одно или несколько маркированных курительных изделий
US20060138073A1 (en) * 2004-12-16 2006-06-29 Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. Plastic cap featuring excellent sealing and venting
US7575121B2 (en) * 2004-12-16 2009-08-18 Japan Crown Cork Co., Ltd. Plastic cap featuring excellent sealing and venting

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1350719A (fr) 1964-01-31
GB1070977A (en) 1967-06-07
NL300885A (en:Method)
BE640329A (en:Method) 1964-03-16
GB1070976A (en) 1967-06-07
DE1295442B (de) 1969-05-14
CH425585A (fr) 1966-11-30
LU44862A1 (en:Method) 1964-01-22

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