Patent ID: 6808059
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: A24C,Y10S

Abstract:
A removing apparatus for rod-like articles, comprising:a rotatable removing drum forming part of a transport path for the rod-like articles, said removing drum having a plurality of transport grooves for each receiving a rod-like article, the transport grooves being arranged at an outer circumferential surface of said removing drum with equal spaces therebetween in a circumferential direction of said removing-drum and each having a suction hole, where the suction holes of adjacent transport grooves in the circumferential direction of said removing drum are located at different axial positions thereof, so that the transport grooves are classified into a plurality of transport-groove types according to the axial position of the suction hole; a suction means including a suction supply region extending in the circumferential direction of said removing drum, for supplying suction pressure to the transport grooves through the suction holes thereof while the transport grooves are passing through the suction supply region during the rotation of said removing drum, to hold rod-like articles in the transport grooves by suction; a suction holding region for severing the suction supply region, said suction holding region including a plurality of independent holding passages each associated with one of the transport-groove types and arranged in parallel with each other, each of the holding passages extending longer in the circumferential direction of said removing drum than a distance between the transport grooves and being connected to the suction hole of a corresponding transport groove for supplying a predetermined holding pressure to the corresponding transport groove to hold suction of the rod-like article in the corresponding transport groove while the corresponding transport groove is passing through the suction holding region; and a compressed air ejecting means for selectively removing the rod-like article from the corresponding transport groove by compressed air while the corresponding transport groove is passing through the suction holding region, said compressed air ejecting means including a plurality of independent supply passages each associated with one of the transport-groove types, the supply passages allowing compressed air to be supplied to a corresponding transport groove while the corresponding transport groove is passing through the suction holding region, to thereby negate suction of the rod-like article in the corresponding transport groove, and solenoid-operated valves for opening and closing the supply passages, respectively.