Device for the orderly supply of elongated articles, in particular tobacco products

A device for the orderly supply of cigarettes; the device presenting at least one channel defined by two lateral walls and for feeding a respective column of cigarettes at a given dropdown speed and in a given traveling direction to the bottom opening of the channel; and an ordering device being provided upstream from the bottom opening in the traveling direction, and presenting at least two engaging elements located at either end of one of the two lateral walls and movable inside the channel to accompany the cigarettes along a given portion of the channel and so feed the cigarettes in orderly manner to the bottom end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a device for the orderly supply of 
elongated articles, in particular tobacco products. 
Cigarette manufacturing systems are known to feature feedboxes with output 
channels defined by respective pairs of substantially parallel partitions, 
and along which the cigarettes are fed by gravity crosswise to their 
longitudinal axis and in a given traveling direction. 
The downflow of cigarettes inside each channel is normally regulated by 
shutter devices associated with the channel and comprising respective 
shutter elements housed inside respective seats formed in one of the two 
partitions, and which rotate intermittently and selectively, about 
respective axes crosswise to the traveling direction, between an idle 
position in which the shutter elements are located outwards of the 
respective channel to permit the passage of the cigarettes, and an engaged 
position in which the shutter elements are located inside the respective 
channel to arrest the downflow of cigarettes inside the channel. 
While providing for substantially accurately regulating the downflow of 
cigarettes inside the channels, known shutter devices of the above type 
present several drawbacks, due, firstly, to their failing to regulate the 
downflow speed of the cigarettes inside the channels, and, secondly, to 
their possibly damaging the cigarettes superficially by crushing them 
against the adjacent partition as they rotate between the idle and engaged 
positions. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a straightforward, 
low-cost device for the orderly supply of elongated articles, particularly 
tobacco products, designed to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. 
According to the present invention, there is provided a device for the 
orderly supply of elongated articles, in particular tobacco products; the 
device comprising at least one channel presenting a bottom opening and a 
longitudinal axis; and the channel being defined by two lateral walls 
parallel to said axis and separated by a distance substantially equal to a 
thickness of the articles, so as to permit a respective column of articles 
to travel, with their respective axes crosswise to said axis, along the 
channel to said bottom opening; characterized by comprising an ordering 
device located outside said channel and upstream from said bottom opening 
along said axis, and which in turn comprises at least two engaging 
elements movable successively along respective given portions of 
respective end edges of at least one of said two lateral walls, and 
cooperating with respective ends of said articles to accompany the 
articles along a substantially central portion of said given portion, and 
to feed the articles in orderly manner to said bottom opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Number 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicates a device for the orderly supply of 
cigarettes 2 along the output channels 3 of a feedbox 4. 
Each channel 3 presents a vertical longitudinal axis 5 parallel to the 
traveling direction 6 of cigarettes 2, and is defined by two lateral walls 
7 parallel to axis 5 and separated from each other by a distance 
substantially equal to the diameter of cigarettes 2, so as to permit a 
respective column 8 of cigarettes 2 to drop by force of gravity along, and 
towards a bottom output opening 9 of, channel 3. Channels 3 are also 
defined by two end walls 10 crosswise to, and connected to the 
longitudinal end edges 11 of, walls 7; and each wall 10 presents an 
opening 12 located upstream from bottom opening 9 in direction 6, and 
extending crosswise to axis 5 in front of all of channels 3. 
Device 1 also comprises an ordering device 13 facing openings 12 and in 
turn comprising two drive shafts 14, which are coaxial with respective 
axes of rotation 15 crosswise to axis 5, are located in front of 
respective openings 12 at opposite ends of walls 7, and rotate in opposite 
directions. Device 13 also comprises, for each wall 7, two wheels 16 
fitted, at either end of respective wall 7, to respective shafts 14 and 
located through openings 12 and in front of respective longitudinal 
cavities 17 formed along respective edges 11 at openings 12 and presenting 
respective end surfaces 18 separated by a distance substantially smaller 
than the length of cigarettes 2. Said two wheels 16 are defined externally 
by respective cylindrical peripheral surfaces 19 coaxial with respective 
axes 15 and substantially tangent to respective vertical planes defined by 
edges 11. 
Device 1 also comprises a number of engaging elements 20 equally spaced 
along surface 19 of each wheel 16 with a given spacing P1 substantially 
equal to the thickness of cigarettes 2. More specifically, the elements 20 
on each wheel 16 are aligned along respective axis 15 with the elements 20 
on the other wheels 16, so as to form a given number of rows 21 parallel 
to respective axes 15. 
Elements 20 are preferably, but not necessarily, substantially spherical, 
and extend radially outwards of surfaces 19 so as to be substantially 
tangent, as wheels 16 rotate, with at least a central portion 22 of 
surfaces 18, and so as to cooperate with respective ends 23 of cigarettes 
2 to accompany them at least along portion 22 and feed cigarettes 2 in 
orderly manner to respective bottom opening 9. 
Operation of device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, 
which show the channels 3 of a central portion of a feedbox 4, in which 
the columns 8 of cigarettes 2 travel towards bottom openings 9 of channels 
3 at a fall speed V1 parallel to direction 6, and so as to form a 
succession of superimposed layers 24 of cigarettes 2. 
As cigarettes 2 reach openings 12, respective ends 23 projecting outwards 
of cavities 17 are gradually engaged by elements 20, which, rotating with 
respective wheels 16 about respective axes 15, are inserted inside the 
gaps defined by two cigarettes 2 in one layer 24 and by two cigarettes 2 
in the adjacent upper layer 24 to accompany cigarettes 2 along at least 
portions 22. 
Wheels 16 preferably rotate continuously about respective axes 15, so that 
elements 20 travel along respective portions 22 at a given speed V2 at 
least approximately equal to but no greater than speed V1, and the 
downward travel of cigarettes 2 inside channels 3 is therefore controlled 
by elements 20, which, acting simultaneously on the cigarettes 2 in each 
layer 24, provide for separating one layer 24 from the adjacent upper 
layer 24, and so feeding layers 24 to bottom openings 9 with a given 
spacing P2 approximately equal to but no smaller than spacing P1 of 
elements 20. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 show an ordering device 25 similar to device 13, except that 
the wheels 16 fitted side by side to the same shaft 14 are replaced by a 
substantially cylindrical roller 26 fitted to shaft 14 and defined 
externally by peripheral surface 19, and elements 20 are of substantially 
cylindrical, elongated shape and are positioned substantially tangent to 
respective portions 22. 
Device 25 operates in the same way as device 13, and therefore requires no 
further explanation. 
In addition to feeding cigarettes 2 in orderly manner along channels 3 to 
bottom openings 9, device 1 therefore also provides for feeding each layer 
24 separately to bottom openings 9, so that the cigarettes 2 in respective 
channels 3 drop down in the same manner, and the bottom layer 24 is 
separated from the layers 24 still inside channels 3 with no need for the 
separating devices normally provided at bottom openings 9. 
In the light of the foregoing description, wheels 16 and rollers 26 may 
obviously be replaced by other technically equivalent elements comprising, 
for example, belts (not shown) fitted with engaging elements 20 and looped 
about respective powered rollers.