DE2224583A1 - Device for automatically feeding cigarettes into storage containers of packaging machines - Google Patents

Description

1224583

Progind Co. S.p.A. Bologna / Italy

Device for the automatic feeding of cigarettes in storage containers of packaging machines

The invention relates to a 'device for automatic Feeding cigarettes into storage containers of packaging machines.

As is well known, the cigarettes have been a packaging machine supplied in that the troughs filled with cigarettes emptied over the storage container of the machine with the cigarettes falling into the container.

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Although various attempts have been made to reduce the impact force caused by the height of fall on the one below It was not possible to mitigate rows of cigarettes * the cigarettes in the storage container from damage and to protect deformations caused by the falling of the mass of the following cigarettes suffer their pressure effect. The cigarettes deformed in this way can be used in the collecting channel of the packaging machine clog, which then brings the machine to a standstill.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described above, which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above, and the promotion of cigarettes from the trough charger to the storage container of the packaging machine. This task is achieved according to the invention in that a plurality of the movable Viands of a channel forming For-. derbands are provided for the continuous transport of cigarettes from the bottom of a trough to the storage container are, and that sensing elements for monitoring the cigarette level in the storage container, as well as sensing elements for monitoring of the pressure exerted by the cigarettes while they are running, the sensing elements control the switching of one or more of the conveyor belts.

The present invention aims at emptying the cigarette-filled trough directly above the Avoid storage containers of the packaging machine.

Another object of the present invention is to automatically and continuously remove the cigarettes from the bottom of one

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emptying trough to the storage container of the packaging machine to convey without creating voids in this, causing the cigarettes to fall could.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG The following description is explained in more detail without, however, being limited thereto. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section along the line II-II according to Fig. 1.

It can be seen from the drawings that the trough in the container 1 is ^{emptied by opening the rocker l f} or in any other known manner on the side of the storage container 2 via a conveyor belt 3. Of course, an embodiment without the container 1 would also be conceivable, in which case only the trough would be present, which can be set above the conveyor belt 3 by any known, automatic or semi-automatic system or also by hand.

The device according to the invention consists essentially from 3 conveyor belts 3 * ^ and 5 * which are arranged in such a way that they form an inevitable and continuous path for the cigarettes, that of the bottom of the emptying Tropjes leads to reservoir 2. The conveyor belt 3 is arranged so that its top directly on the underside of the container 1 of the trough charger or the Troges itself lies. When opening the swing arm l 'des -' ·

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Container 1 (see Pig. L) for releasing the cigarettes, In this way, they are gently pushed onto the conveyor belt 3 since the space available does not allow the cigarettes to fall. This is done of course regardless of the type of emptying of the trough, which can be designed with or without a container.

The surface of the belt 3 is provided with openings which are in communication with an underlying chamber 6 in which a vacuum is generated ^{via a suction nozzle 6 1.} Through these openings (which are not indicated in the drawing) the cigarettes of the lower row are held on the belt without shifting and are conveyed to the channel 9 by the clockwise movement of the belt 3. The channel 9 * whose side walls are formed in the first section by the two conveyor belts 3 and 4, which run at the same speed and in the same direction indicated by the arrows in FIG limited number of rows of cigarettes is possible. The cigarettes that were already in the trough above the vertical of the channel 9 will gradually sink deeper, while the others are conveyed into the channel by the run of the conveyor belt 3. The vertical initial section of the channel 9 merges into a curved area, the wall 13 of which is fixed, while the other wall is in turn formed by the conveyor belt 4, which now runs horizontally. The third conveyor belt 5 connects to the fixed wall 13, the upper limb of which, together with the lower limb of the belt 4, forms a horizontal corridor in which the cigarettes are conveyed and

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be pushed on to the storage container 2 of the packaging machine, without the possibility of a relative movement between the one and the other cigarette. The belts 4 and 5 are also perforated and are each connected to the vacuum chambers 7 and 8, which are connected ^{to the vacuum source through the nozzles 7 1} and 8 ¹ , which serves to ensure that the lower and upper row of cigarettes adhere to the conveyor belts to favor.

The three conveyor belts are driven by suitable transmission systems through a power element 14, e.g. by a gear motor or similar means. The movement of the conveyor belts is monitored by a sensing element 10 controlled, which is mounted at the upper end of the storage container 2 of the packaging machine. When the amount of The amount of cigarettes present in the storage container 2 falls below a certain set limit, is indicated by the sensing element 10 emits a pulse which acts on a power organ 14, causing the conveyor belts in the direction of the arrow are switched and more cigarettes in the storage container 2 arrive. As soon as the cigarettes have reached the desired level again, this is removed from the feeler lOf perceived what immediately brought the standstill of the Conveyor belts initiated.

To put undue pressure on the cigarettes at the entrance of the gutter 9 to avoid being caused by the simultaneous and continuous from two different directions coming river (vertically by gravity directly from the trough and horizontally by taking the Conveyor belt 3), is also a second FUhI member 11 provided near the entrance of the channel 9, the only

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-βDrive of the conveyor belt 3 controls. The link 11 is for those conveyed by the belt 3 in this area Cigarettes exerted pressure sensitively and as soon as the limb detects a pressure value that is over the set value is, it acts on the control member that the band 3 is locked. The tape is just running continue as soon as the pressure returns to normal. If the arrangement according to the invention is an automatic Trough charger is connected upstream, the control signal for replacing the empty trough with a given trough filled with cigarettes by a third sensing element 12, which is preferably on the wall 13 on End of the vertical stretch of the channel 3 is provided. As soon as the sensing member 12 perceives that the weight of the overlying cigarettes falls below a predetermined value, an impulse is emitted by this element, which switches the drive of the automatic trough charger and at the same time also causes the conveyor belts to stop in order to avoid the cigarette conveyor trough 9 emptied when replacing the empty trough. Because the operation of the packaging machine is continuous is, the cigarettes present in the storage container 2 will continue to sink, but can in this container suitable known level regulators can be provided inside, which avoid height deviations. *

From the above statements it can be seen that the device according to the invention makes it possible to use the storage container to supply the packaging machine continuously and evenly with cigarettes, so that the packaging machine is always filled and supplied with an almost constant cigarette load.

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Within the scope of the invention, the above and described device may be modified or further developed by those skilled in the art, - in particular it would be conceivable to change the intended number of conveyor belts and the course of the cigarette conveyor trough to shape in a different way. Furthermore, it would be possible to adjust the number and the arrangement of the mentioned sensing elements change, as the positions indicated in the drawing are to be viewed purely as directional.

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Claims (9)

Claims Device for automatically feeding cigarettes into storage containers of packaging machines, characterized in that a plurality of conveyor belts (j>, 4, 5) forming the movable walls of a channel (9) for the continuous conveyance of cigarettes from the bottom of a trough (l) to the Storage container (2) are provided, and that sensing elements (10) for monitoring the cigarette level in the storage container, as well as sensing elements (11, 12) for monitoring the pressure exerted by the cigarettes during their run, are arranged, the sensing elements (11, 12) having a Control the switching of one or more of the conveyor belts (3i 4, 5). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first (3) of said conveyor belts O, 4, 5) is ^{in contact at its top with the trough bottom (I 1} ) in the emptying position, that the surface of said conveyor belt all from the trough picks up coming cigarettes with the exception of those of a free area provided on the side of the trough, and the conveyor belt conveys the cigarettes up to this free area, where they sink by gravity and run through the above-mentioned channel. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the movable side walls of the first section of said channel (9) by a downward-facing area of the first conveyor belt (J>)} and from a parallel, running in the same direction (■ the section of a second conveyor belt (4) is formed. ί "■. j 4. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that g e that said channel (9) has an exit section at the entrance of the storage container (2) which extends substantially horizontally and \ whose lateral movable walls are formed by the lower) portion of the second conveyor belt (4) and through the upper portion of a third conveyor belt (5). 5 · Device according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that between the input and the outlet section of the channel (9) a curved fixed transition wall is provided. 6. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of at least one of the conveyor belts (J>, 4, 5) has interruptions, which in connection with an underlying chamber connected to a vacuum source (6, J, 8) stand, this chamber extending under the whole area of the belt in contact with the cigarettes. 7. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that that a cigarette present in the storage container (2) - 10 209850/0806 - ίο - tenstand detecting sensing element (10) is provided, which is mounted at an upper end of the storage container and controls the indexing of the conveyor belts. 8. Device according to one or more of the preceding Claims, characterized in that a sensing element in the inlet section of the channel (9) (11) is arranged, which is based on the pressure of the cigarettes arriving from the first conveyor belt (3) on the through Exercise gravity coming from the free area cigarettes responds, and that this sensing element (ll) as a function of said pressure controls the standstill of the first conveyor belt (3). 9. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that that in the transition area of the channel (9) a sensing element (12) is arranged, which responds to the weight of the overlying cigarettes and the emptying that has taken place of the trough (l) and controls the trough change on the trough loading machine, while at the same time switching all conveyor belts is interrupted. 209850/0806 Blank page