Conveyors: fluid current – With means to control conveying fluid or movement of load in... – Control of conveying fluid
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2001-04-03
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: fluid current
With means to control conveying fluid or movement of load in...
Control of conveying fluid
C406S014000, C406S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210080
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for pneumatically transporting a file or row of successive rod-shaped articles lengthwise between a sender and a receiver. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in an apparatus which can be utilized with advantage for pneumatic transport of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, especially for pneumatic transport of filter rod sections of unit length or multiple unit length. For example, the pneumatic transport according to the invention can move filter rod sections from a filter rod making machine to the magazine of a so-called tipping machine wherein the filter rod sections are united with rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles to form filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or the like. As a rule, the filter rod sections or articles which reach the receiver are caused to move sideways, e.g., into the aforementioned magazine of the tipping machine.
As a rule, a pneumatic conveyor for a file of successive rod-shaped articles (hereinafter mainly referred to as sections or filter rod sections) comprises an elongated pneumatic conduit defining an elongated path (such path can include straight as well as arcuate portions) for successive sections of the file. The conduit has a receiving end which accepts successive sections from the sender, and a discharge end which delivers successive sections to the receiver. As a rule, the conduit receives and advances a file of successive sections which may but need not be of identical length, and the number of conveyed sections per unit of time may but need not be constant, depending on variations of output of the maker of filter rod sections and/or upon fluctuations of the requirements of the consumer of filter rod sections. It is desirable to ensure that the distance or spacing between successive sections in the pneumatic conduit remain at least substantially constant, i.e., within a certain acceptable range of distances. Actual conveying takes place by means of a pressurized fluid, normally compressed air, and the pressure of the fluid influences the achievement of or the failure to achieve the aforementioned desired parameters including the establishment of and adherence to an optimum distance between successive sections of the file of such sections in the conduit.
In the event of a malfunction, e.g., a malfunction involving fluctuations in the rate of transport which are attributable to the sender and normally involve a reduction of the rate of transport of sections per unit of time, a conventional apparatus is likely to develop undesirable changes in the rate and manner of receiving successive sections at the discharge end of the conduit; this can result in an undesirable interruption of the delivery of sections or in an equally undesirable pile-up of sections at the discharge end of the conduit.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whose operation is more reliable and more predictable than that of heretofore known apparatus for the transport of filter rod sections or the like by means of a gaseous fluid.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can be utilized in existing production lines, e.g., between a filter rod making machine and a tipping machine of a production line serving to turn out filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or the like.
A further object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with novel and improved means for influencing the rate of advancement of successive filter rod sections of a file of such sections in a pneumatic conduit.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whose operation is particularly desirable and advantageous when the rate of delivery of rod-shaped articles in the conduit tends to depart from an acceptable rate, e.g., when such rate tends to increase beyond the acceptable rate.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of influencing the rate of advancement of a continuous file of successive rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry in an elongated path which is defined by the conduit of a pneumatic conveyor.
A further object of the invention is to provide a production line, particularly for filter cigarettes, which embodies one or more pneumatic transporting apparatus of the above outlined character.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved fluid flow and fluid pressure regulating devices for use in the above outlined transporting apparatus.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved conduit for use in the above outlined apparatus.
Still another object of the invention is to provide the above outlined apparatus with a novel and improved device which can receive and manipulate successive rod-shaped articles (such as filter rod sections of unit length or multiple unit length) which are being delivered by the conduit.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic transporting apparatus for filter rod sections or the like whose operation is highly satisfactory regardless of the exact configuration of the conduit, e.g., whether or not the conduit includes an arcuate portion or section immediately upstream of the discharge end of the conduit.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can treat the conveyed commodities gently during each and every stage of transport from a sender to a receiver and regardless of fluctuations in the rate of transport in the conduit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is embodied in an apparatus for transporting a file of successive rod-shaped articles (e.g., filter rod sections which are convertible into the mouthpieces of filter tipped smokers' products) lengthwise from a sender to a receiver. The apparatus comprises a pneumatic conduit which is arranged to advance the articles of the file at a plurality of speeds and includes an article-receiving end at the sender as well as an article-discharging end at the receiver, means for accepting articles from the receiver, means for monitoring the speed of articles in the conduit and for generating signals having characteristics denoting the monitored speed of the articles, and means for influencing the speed of articles in the conduit as a function of the characteristics of the signals.
The accepting means can include means for advancing successive articles of the file sideways away from the receiver.
The monitoring means (e.g., a system of sensors) can be located at the receiver.
The influencing means can be located upstream of the monitoring means, as seen a direction counter to the direction of conveying the articles from the article-receiving end toward the article-discharging end of the conduit.
The influencing means can be installed directly in the conduit, i.e., between the article-receiving and article-discharging ends of the conduit. For example, the influencing means (or at least a portion of the influencing means) can be integrated into the conduit.
It is often desirable or advantageous to install the influencing means (or at least a portion of the influencing means) at one of the article-receiving and article-discharging ends of the conduit.
The influencing means can comprise a valve which is installed in the conduit and has a fluid outlet with an effective size or area which is variable in response to signals from the monitoring means. The valve can constitute an automatic vent- or venting valve. The arrangement can be such that the conduit defines an elongated fluid-containing path for successive articles of the file and is provided with a fluid discharging opening communicating with the outlet of the valve; the valve includes means for varying the effective size of the outlet in response to signals from the monitoring means. The means for varying the effective size of the outlet can comprise a pneumatically operated cylinder-and-piston unit, and the piston of such unit can constitute a means for actually varying the effective size of the outlet of the val
Haul Michael
Paech Martin
Dillon, Jr. Joe
Ellis Christopher P.
Hauni Maschinenbau AG
Spencer George H.
Venable
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