Title: Apparatus for direct and circuitous transport of cigarettes or the like from manufacturing to processing machines

Do you think this is a good invention? Vote now:

Votes so far: For:(0) Against:(0)
Claims: What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. Apparatus for effecting and regulating the delivery of rod-shaped articles from a source which supplies articles at a first variable rate to a consumer which accepts articles at a second variable rate, particularly for effecting and regulating the delivery of smokers' products from a producing machine to a consuming machine, comprising first transporting means for moving articles from said source directly to said consumer along a first path; second transporting means for moving articles from said source to said consumer along a second path; switchover means actuatable to direct articles from said source into a selected path; a variable-volume magazine communicating with said second path; and means for changing the volume of said magazine in response to changes in the proportion of said rates so that the volume of said magazine increases and the magazine receives articles from said second path when said first rate exceeds said second rate and said volume decreases whereby said magazine feeds articles into said second path when said second rate exceeds said first rate.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said switchover means comprises a plurality of conveyors.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said conveyors are located in a common vertical plane.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said conveyors include a first conveyor which receives articles from said source, a second conveyor arranged to transfer articles from said conveyor into one of said paths, and a third conveyor actuatable to transfer articles from said first conveyor into the other of said paths, said switchover means further comprising means for selectively actuating said third conveyor.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said magazine is located at a level above said first path.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said second path includes a substantially vertical portion having a lower end adjacent to said switchover means and said second transporting means comprises a pair of conveyors flanking said vertical portion and arranged to transport articles toward said magazine when said switchover means is actuated to direct articles from said source into said second path.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said switchover means comprises means for conveying articles from said source into the range of said conveyors of said second transporting means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said switchover means comprises conveyor means arranged to normally direct articles from said source into said first path and being actuatable to direct articles from said source into said second path, and actuating means for said conveyor means, said actuating means comprising means for monitoring the movement of articles along said first path.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said monitoring means comprises a photoelectric detector.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first transporting means comprises a plurality of discrete conveyors each arrangned to move articles along a different portion of said first path.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said first transporting means comprises discrete prime movers for at least two of said plurality of conveyors.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first transporting means comprises at least two discrete conveyors each arranged to move articles along a different portion of said first path and means for driving said conveyors at different speeds.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein one of said conveyors is adjacent to and normally receives articles from said switchover means and the other of said conveyors receives articles from said one conveyor, the speed of said one conveyor exceeding the speed of said other conveyor.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said one conveyor delivers articles to said other conveyor at a predetermined transfer station and said switchover means comprises additional means which normally directs articles from said source to said one conveyor and is actuatable to direct articles from said source into said second path, said switchover means further comprising means for actuating said additional conveyor means including means for monitoring the movement of articles at said transfer station and for effecting the transport of articles from said source into said second path in response to accumulation of a predetermined supply of articles at said transfer station when said first rate exceeds said second rate.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein switch switchover means normally directs articles from said source into said first path and said switchover means comprises a conveyor which is actuatable to direct articles from said source into said second path, said switchover means further comprising means for actuating said conveyor including means for monitoring a portion of said first path for accumulations of articles therein when said first rate exceeds said second rate and for effecting the actuation of said conveyor in response to detection of an accumulation of a predetermined supply of articles in said portion of said first path.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said conveyor of said switchover means is a rotary suction conveyor and said actuating means further comprises a suction generating device and means for connecting said suction generating device to said rotary conveyor in response to a signal which is furnished by said monitoring means as a result of accumulation of said predetermined supply of articles.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first transporting means comprises a plurality of discrete conveyors each arranged to move articles along a different portion of said first path, said conveyors including a last conveyor arranged to deliver articles to said consuming machine, said consuming machine having an inlet and further comprising means for arresting at least said last conveyor of said first transporting means in response to accumulation of articles at said inlet.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a bin disposed at the inlet of said consuming machine, said arresting means including means for scanning the quantity of articles in said bin and for terminating the operation of said last conveyor when said bin accumulates a predetermined supply of articles at said inlet as a result of failure of said consumer to accept articles from said first transporting unit at the rate at which said first transporting unit receives articles from said source.

19. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said magazine has an outlet located at a level above a portion of said first path.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said second path has a discharge end for delivery of articles into said first path intermediate said switchover means and said consumer, said magazine having an outlet communicating with said second path upstream of said discharge end, as considered in the direction of movement of articles along said second path, and further comprising means for blocking the movement of articles from said discharge end into said first path when said switchover means directs articles into said first path.

21. Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said blocking means comprises a conveyor which is idle while said switchover means directs articles into said first path.

22. Apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said conveyor defines for articles leaving said discharge end a third path which is parallel to the neighboring portion of said first path.

23. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first transporting means comprises a plurality of discrete conveyors each arranged to move articles along a different portion of said first path, said conveyors including a last conveyor which is adjacent to said consumer and said second path having a discharge end adjacent to that portion of said first path which is defined by said last conveyor of said first transporting means.

24. Apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein said discharge end is located at a level above said last conveyor.

25. Apparatus as defined in claim 23, further comprising means for blocking the movement of articles from said discharge end onto said last conveyor, said blocking means comprising a further conveyor which is idle when said switchover means directs articles into said first path and motor means for moving said further conveyor at the speed of said last conveyor.

26. Apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein said switchover means comprises additional conveyor means for transporting articles into one of said paths and further comprising means for starting said motor means, including means for monitoring said additional conveyor means for the presence or absence of articles.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said monitoring means comprises a photoelectric detector.

28. Apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said consumer comprises an inlet and further comprising means for arresting said motor means in response to excessive accumulation of articles at said inlet.

29. Apparatus as defined in claim 28, further comprising a bin for articles at said inlet, said arresting means comprising a device for scanning said bin for the quantity of articles therein.

30. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said consumer has an inlet and said first transporting means comprises a plurality of conveyors each arranged to move articles along a different portion of said first path, said conveyors including a first conveyor adjacent to said switchover means, a last conveyor adjacent to said inlet, and an intermediate conveyor between said first and last conveyors, said first transporting means further comprising discrete motor means for said intermediate conveyor and means for arresting said motor means in response to excessive accumulation of articles at said inlet.

31. Apparatus as defined in claim 30, further comprising a bin for articles at said inlet, said arresting means comprising a device for scanning the quantity of articles in said bin.

32. Apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said switchover means comprises an additional conveyor arranged to normally deliver articles from said source to said first conveyor of said first transporting means, and further comprising means for starting said motor means including means for monitoring said additional conveyor for the presence or absence of articles.

33. Apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein said monitoring means comprises a photoelectric detector arranged to initiate the starting of said motor means in response to delivery of articles from said source to said additional conveyor and while said switchover means directs articles into said first path.

34. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said consumer has an inlet and said first transporting means comprises a plurality of discrete conveyors including a last conveyor arranged to deliver articles to said inlet and a second conveyor arranged to deliver articles to said last conveyor, said first transporting means further comprising discrete first and second motors for said last and second cnveyors, said second path having a discharge end in the region of one of said conveyors and further comprising a third conveyor arranged to normally block the transfer of articles from said discharge end to said one conveyor of said first transporting means and a third motor for said third conveyor, and control means for said motors including means for scanning said inlet for accumulation of articles and means for monitoring said switchover means for the presence or absence of articles.

35. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said switchover means comprises a rotary drum-shaped first conveyor having a peripheral surface provided with article-receiving flutes parallel to the axis of said first conveyor and at least one additional conveyor for feeding articles into the flutes of said first conveyor when said switchover means is actuated to direct articles into said second path, and further comprising means for retaining articles in said flutes during transport from said additional conveyor into said second path in actuated condition of said switchover means.

36. Apparatus as defined in claim 35, wherein said retaining means comprises suction ports provided in said first conveyor and communicating with said flutes, a suction generating device, and means for connecting said suction generating device with the ports for those flutes which contain articles and travel from the locus of delivery of articles from said additional conveyor to said first conveyor to the locus where said flutes deliver articles into said second path.

37. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said switchover means comprises a rotary drum-shaped conveyor which is actuatable to direct articles into said second path and has a peripheral surface provided with article-receiving flutes extending in parallelism with the axis of said conveyor, said conveyor further having at least one guide means located in a plane normal to said flutes and second transfer means comprising at least one endless flexible conveyor having a first portion trained over said guide means and a second portion flanking that portion of said second path which is immediately adjacent to said switchover means.

38. Apparatus as defined in claim 37, wherein said rotary conveyor has two guide means and said second transfer means comprises two endless flexible conveyors having first portions trained over discrete guide means of said rotary conveyor and second portions adjacent to said portion of said second path.

39. Apparatus as defined in claim 37, wherein said guide means comprises an endless groove provided in said peripheral surface.

40. Apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein the depth of said groove, as considered radially of said rotary conveyor, is such that said first portion of said flexible element is located radially inwardly of the deepmost portions of said flutes.

41. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said switchover means comprises a rotary drum-shaped conveyor arranged to normally direct articles from said source into said first path and said first transporting means comprises a plurality of discrete conveyors each arranged to move articles along a different portion of said first path, said plurality of conveyors including a first conveyor having at least one endless flexible conveying element trained over said rotary conveyor of said switchover means.

42. Apparatus as defined in claim 41, wherein said rotary conveyor has a peripheral surface provided with article-receiving flutes parallel to the axis of said rotary conveyor and a circumferential groove for a portion of said conveying element, said portion of said conveying element being located inwardly of said flutes, as considered in the radial direction of said rotary conveyor.

43. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said switchover means comprises a rotary conveyor arranged to normally transport articles from a first locus where said conveyor receives articles from said source to a second locus where said conveyor delivers articles into said first path, and means for holding articles by suction between said first and second loci.

44. Apparatus as defined in claim 43, wherein said switchover means further comprises a second rotary conveyor arranged to transport articles from said second locus into said second path when said switchover means is actuated and means for retaining articles on said second rotary conveyor by suction between said second locus and a third locus where said second rotary conveyor delivers articles into said second path.

45. Apparatus as defined in claim 44, wherein said second rotary conveyor has a peripheral surface provided with article-receiving flutes extending in parallelism with the axis of said second conveyor, said retaining means comprising suction ports provided in said second conveyor and extending inwardly from said flutes, a suction generating device, and means for connecting said suction generating device with the ports which are located between said second and third loci in response to a pileup of articles in said first path.

Other info:

Inventors: Selonke, Fritz (Hamburg, DT)
Bornfleth, Ulrich (Hamburg, DT)

Application Number: 509123
Filing Date: 1974-09-25
Publication_date: 1976-04-27
Assignee: Hauni-Werke Korber & Co., KG (Hamburg-Bergedorf, DT)
Primary Class(es): 198/347.3 198/524, 198/560, 198/601
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3365857	Jan, 1968	Liedtke	198/34.
3854567	Dec, 1974	Poupin et al.	198/20.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Marbert, James B.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Kontler; Peter K., Kurucz; John