GB1174612A - Improvements in Feed Systems for Cigarettes or other Rod-like Articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,174,612. Cigarette packaging apparatus; endless conveyers. HAUNI-WERKE KORBER & CO. K.G. 15 March, 1967 [18 April, 1966], No. 12062/67. Headings B8A and B8C. A storage arrangement sited between cigarette or like making machinery and packaging apparatus, comprises means for filling open sided trays from the making machines and emptying the trays to supply the packaging apparatus, the trays moving in a vertically disposed rectilinear closed path between the emptying position and a position for distribution to one or more filling points. Filling.-In the described arrangement, two cigarette making machines feed cigarettes to two identical tray filling devices (2), 4, see also Figs. 1, 2 (not shown), each of which includes a known form of suction head (28) which lifts cigarettes off a supply belt (32) and forms them into batches. A pusher (34) thrusts a line of batches into a corresponding line of cells 36 in a tray, the tray being supported to be moved downwards intermittently by a drum 40 having slots engaging the cell walls, to present each cell line for filling. When the tray is filled, its support platform 44 swings downwards and backwards to deposit it on a surface 54, at the same time pushing a preceding filled tray 38 on to a conveyer 58. Emptying.-The conveyer 58 moves the tray on to the lower run 10 of the closed track leading to the emptying position where it joins others being advanced by a pusher 66. Filled trays are also fed to this position from the device (2). The leading tray is raised in steps, initially by a platform and then by a drum similar to the drum 40, to present each line of cells to pushers 84 which discharge the blocks of cigarettes into pockets 100 of a conveyer 98 taking them to a wrapping station. At the latter, pusher pushers 107 feed the blocks to a wrapping wheel 104 (not detailed). When the tray is empty and at the top of its travel, a pusher 114 places it on belts 130, 132 carrying it to an upper distributing position where a chain conveyer 136 feeds it to either filling device 2 or 4, according to demand. The apparatus is controlled throughout by switches operated by the trays and tray conveying means.