Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system having auxiliary section for storing items... – Auxiliary section has the same entrance and exit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-13
2001-02-27
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system having auxiliary section for storing items...
Auxiliary section has the same entrance and exit
C198S358000, C198S347100, C131S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193051
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system for handling articles, in particular for packaging cigarettes, having a reservoir or store for temporarily receiving articles, and having at least a first handling machine, in particular a maker for cigarettes, upstream, and at least a second handling machine, in particular a packaging machine, downstream, of the reservoir as seen in the direction of the movement path, it being the case that the first handling machine conveys articles alternatively into the reservoir or to the second handling machine and the reservoir, as required, discharges articles to the second handling machine.
In many areas of production or handling technology, different sub-assemblies and/or machines are linked up to one another to form a unit. The articles which are to be handled pass through the different machines one after the other and thus undergo the necessary processing. The sub-assemblies and machines which are combined to form such a system have to be controlled in a coordinated manner and/or co-ordinated with one another in terms of functioning.
Systems of the abovementioned type are to be found, in particular, in packaging technology. Finished products pass through in some circumstances a number of machines in order, for example, to be grouped into units and packaged in a number of steps. “Lines” which comprise a number of sub-assemblies and machines are known in the production and packaging of cigarettes. A cigarette production machine, a so-called maker, is adjoined by at least a first packaging machine. However, usually more than one packaging machine is provided, in order for a first, inner wrapping, the actual packaging and an outer, film wrapping to be provided in successive steps. It is difficult in practice to co-ordinate the machines with particularly high outputs.
It is known to use stores, so-called reservoirs, which temporarily receive a large number of cigarettes following the maker and discharge these again, as required, to the following packaging machine. It is also known in this case for the maker and packaging machine to be switched off in accordance with a maximum or minimum filling level. For example, it is customary to switch off the maker when the reservoir has reached a filling level of 100% of the maximum capacity. In the same way, the following packaging machine is switched off when the store is completely empty.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to improve the performance and/or the efficiency of such systems which comprise a number of machines and sub-assemblies and use a store for articles.
In order to achieve this object, the system according to the invention is characterized by the following features:
a) the first handling machine, which is arranged upstream of the reservoir in the conveying path of the articles, and/or the second handling machine, which is arranged downstream of the reservoir, can be controlled in terms of the operating speed (cycle speed) in accordance with the filling level of the reservoir, said level being measured constantly or from time to time,
b) the first handling machine, which is arranged upstream of the reservoir, can be driven at a higher output (cycle speed) when the filling level of the reservoir is comparatively low and can be driven at a correspondingly lower output (cycle speed) when the filling level of the reservoir is higher,
c) the second handling machine, which is arranged downstream of the reservoir, can be driven at a lower output (cycle speed) when the filling level of the reservoir is lower and can be driven at a higher output (cycle speed) when the filling level of the reservoir is higher.
The invention is based on the idea of carrying out a constant, continuously or cyclically carried out co-ordination of the handling machines with one another with the aid of the reservoir or of the filling level of the articles in the reservoir. Furthermore, the invention is based on the finding that the operation of one handling machine has to be co-ordinated constantly or from time to time with the operation of the other, associated handling machine, in order to achieve, in terms of the system as a whole, optimum machine functioning with the smallest possible number of machine stops. The aim of the invention is to reduce the number of times individual machines, or even the system as a whole, are/is switched off and, instead, to operate the same in a co-ordinated manner, if required, with reduced output.
As reference variable for the control of the machines, use is made, according to a further feature of the invention, of an optimum filling level of the reservoir, namely an average filling level of from 40% to 60% of the maximum capacity, preferably of 50%. Deviations from this optimum filling level of the store results in a change in output of one handling machine or the other.
According to a further feature of the invention, the co-ordination, controlled via the filling level of the reservoir, of the handling machines with one another is such that the individual, current output capacity of the relevant handling machines can be taken into account. For this purpose, the handling machines and the reservoir are connected to an Industrial Personal Computer (IPC) which processes the current filling level of the store with the operating data of the machines, to be precise in accordance with a predetermined, changeable configuration. By virtue of a programming unit which can be connected to the IPC, the set configuration can be changed and adapted to the respectively current conditions. For this purpose, it is possible, for example, for a laptop to be connected to the IPC via a serial interface.
The process according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously in the cigarette industry. In this case, the first handling machine, which is arranged upstream of the reservoir, is a maker for cigarettes. The downstream, second handling machine is a (first) packaging machine.
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Ellis Christopher P.
Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
Sharma Rashmi
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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