Variable speed conveying apparatus

Details Variable speed conveying apparatus Variable speed conveying apparatus

1996-08-15

1999-03-09

Bidwell, James R.

Conveyors: power-driven

Conveyor system for arranging or rearranging stream of items

By longitudinally respacing successive articles in stream

19845911, B65G 4726

Patent

active

058788654

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to variable speed conveying apparatus. In one form the invention is concerned with conveying rod-like articles, particularly articles of the tobacco industry such as cigarettes.
Cigarette packing machines generally assemble cigarettes in groups prior to forming a packet around each group. The groups of cigarettes usually comprise two or three rows of cigarettes. Cigarettes are commonly transferred to the packing machine in a multi-layer stream, often having a depth corresponding to ten cigarettes or more. Conventional cigarette packing machine hoppers are capable of receiving such a stream and providing an output of one or more rows of cigarettes or forming a group suitable for packing. Such hoppers operate intermittently, however, and can be a source of damage and/or is degradation to cigarettes. British patent specification No. 2175268A discloses one form of apparatus for continuously converting a multi-layer stream of cigarettes into a single row stream from which groups for use in a packing machine may be obtained: this apparatus may also be damaging to cigarettes, however, because the stream tends to be squeezed between narrowing side walls.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention conveying apparatus, particularly for changing the height of a stream of rod-like articles moving in a direction transverse to the lengths of the articles, comprises conveyor means having a plurality of conveying surfaces for engaging the stream along a path, and means for progressively changing the speed of said surfaces as they progress along said path. The stream may be a multi-layer stream and the speed changing means may be arranged to increase the speed of the conveyor surfaces: in this form the apparatus may be used to reduce the height of a multi-layer stream prior to delivery to a cigarette packing machine. Alternatively or additionally the speed changing means may be arranged to decrease the speed of the conveyor surfaces: the apparatus may then be used to increase the height of a stream, including a single row stream, so that the apparatus can be used as a stack former.
In a preferred arrangement said conveying surfaces are interconnected and may form part of an endless conveyor. Preferably the speed changing means comprises means for controlling the relative rate of movement of said surfaces along said path. Preferably said controlling means also controls, directly or indirectly, the relative positions of said surfaces. Thus, each surface may form part of a link of a link conveyor, the angular disposition of the links being controlled along the path. Where the conveyor means comprises an endless conveyor passing around upstream and downstream pulleys, the latter is preferably driven at a higher speed than the former when it is desired to reduce the height of the stream and at a lower speed when it is desired to increase the height of the stream. Preferably the controlling means includes means extending longitudinally adjacent said path.
According to a further aspect of the invention conveying apparatus, particularly for changing the height of a stream of rod-like articles moving in a direction transverse to the lengths of the articles, comprises endless conveyor means including a series of pivotally interconnected links, and means for controlling the relative disposition of the links along a path of the conveyor, so that the longitudinal spacing between corresponding parts of adjacent links progressively changes as the links progress along said path. In a preferred arrangement the controlling means controls the angular disposition of the links as they progress along the path, preferably so that in at least a portion of said path the links are relatively angularly disposed in such manner that articles may settle in recesses formed by adjacent surfaces of said links. The controlling means preferably includes drive means for said conveyor means: in one preferred arrangement the controlling means comprises a scroll member rotatab

REFERENCES:
patent: 3232414 (1966-02-01), Brigham et al.
patent: 3292769 (1966-12-01), Zuppiger
patent: 3903806 (1975-09-01), Ayres et al.
patent: 3939959 (1976-02-01), Dunstan et al.
patent: 4066161 (1978-01-01), Michalon et al.
patent: 4072228 (1978-02-01), Honeggel et al.
patent: 4227606 (1980-10-01), Bogatzki
patent: 4284191 (1981-08-01), LaVau

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