Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit – System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
Patent
1996-08-15
1999-01-19
Bidwell, James R.
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit
System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
198450, B65G 1746
Patent
active
058605061
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to transferring rod-like articles, particularly transferring rows of cigarettes for subsequent packing in a cigarette packing machine.
In order to achieve higher speeds in cigarette packing machines it is desirable that as many parts of the machine as possible should operate continuously rather than intermittently. In particular it is desirable that the conveyor in which the groups of cigarettes are assembled into bundles for subsequent wrapping should run continuously. The present invention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with transfer apparatus suitable for feeding cigarettes to such a conveyor, particularly from a hopper or other region in which the cigarettes are substantially stationary.
According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for transferring rod-like articles includes means for supplying articles to a plurality of adjacent delivery positions arranged in a row, conveyor means including means for receiving articles from said positions, means for translating said conveyor means along a path extending adjacent said row so that said receiving means receives articles from said positions, and means for delivering a row of articles from said conveyor means. Said conveyor means may comprise rotary conveyor means. Preferably said receiving means includes means, e.g. flutes, defining individual cigarette positions. Said conveyor means may receive articles sequentially, e.g. in flutes, or it may receive several or all articles in a row substantially simultaneously. The row of adjacent delivery positions may be straight, or may be curved, e.g. so as to cooperate with said conveyor means.
The delivering means may deliver the row to a further conveyor, which may be a rotary drum or an endless band conveyor and may include flutes for receiving individual cigarettes or pockets or other means adapted to receive a row of cigarettes.
In a preferred arrangement the conveyor means comprises a plurality of planetary wheels and the translating means comprises an annular carrier for said wheels. Each wheel may have the same number of flutes as there are delivery positions in said row. Preferably the planetary wheels deliver successive rows of articles to a further conveyor in such manner that there are spaces between successive rows. The further conveyor may comprise a fluted drum rotated about the same axis as the annular carrier and having a lesser radius than the path of the planetary wheels. In a preferred arrangement the planetary wheels are capable of receiving an article from said row in one flute substantially while transferring an article from another flute to said rotary drum. Preferably the planetary wheels, annular carrier and rotary drum move continuously.
In another preferred arrangement the receiving means is constrained to move on a path which describes an hypocycloid. The receiving means may comprise means carried by a planetary wheel and arranged to receive a row of cigarettes at a node of the hypocycloid path and to deliver said cigarettes at a position between nodes on said path, preferably at a speed matched to that of a receiving conveyor, e.g. containing pockets.
According to another aspect of the invention apparatus for transferring rod-like articles includes means for supplying articles to a plurality of adjacent delivery positions arranged in a row, first conveyor means for receiving articles from said positions and second conveyor means for receiving articles from said first conveyor means, said first and second conveyor means being rotatable about a common axis. In a preferred arrangement said first conveyor means comprises at least one planetary conveyor. Thus the first conveyor means may comprise a plurality of fluted planetary members carried by an annular member, and said second conveyor means may comprise a fluted drum arranged inside the annular member.
The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of part of a cigarette packi
REFERENCES:
patent: 3435940 (1969-04-01), Sesagnoli
patent: 4614263 (1986-09-01), Nagata et al.
patent: 4666031 (1987-05-01), Walker
patent: 5480021 (1996-01-01), Belvedesi et al.
Bailey Thomas William
Goodwin James
Martin Simon Charles
Vernon Geoffrey William
Bidwell James R.
Molins PLC
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