Automatic feeder device for cigarettes and similar rod-like articles

An automatic feeder device for loading full trays over the hopper of machines for packing cigarettes and for discharging empty trays from the hopper, with the aid of a tray-carrying casing which is provided with a gate for closing the tray mouth and with tray-holding arms cooperating with the bottom of the tray. The device includes a path (4) for feeding full trays (2'), this path being directed towards the hopper (1), and a path (6) for discharging empty trays (2"), the discharge path being arranged below the tray-feeding path and being directed away from the hopper. A loading-and-unloading inclined frame (8-8, 9, 10) extends adjacent the paths and has an upper fore end which is disposed adjacent the hopper. The frame is swingably mounted so that it can alternately assume two angular positions: a less inclined position in which its upper fore end is lowered toward the inlet of the hopper, and another more inclined position in which its upper fore end is lifted from the inlet of the hopper. The tray-carrying casing is so mounted as to be both longitudinally slidable and rotatable with respect to the frame, from an overturned upper position over the inlet of the hopper, through an upstanding intermediate position where the empty tray is released to the discharge path, to an upstanding lower position where a full tray is received from the tray-feeding path, and then back to the hopper.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to machines for packing cigarettes or any 
like rod-like articles, and has for its object an automatic feeder device 
for charging the full trays over the hopper of said packing machines, and 
for discharging the empty trays from said hopper, by the aid of a 
tray-carrying casing provided with a gate for closing the tray mouth, and 
with tray-molding means cooperating with the bottom of the tray. 
The invention has for its object to realize an automatic feeder device of 
the aforementioned type, presenting a simple, sturdy and not too 
cumbersome construction, and guaranteeing a safe and sufficiently quick 
operation. 
According to the invention, this object is attained by the provision of an 
automatic feeder device of the above mentioned type comprising a path for 
the feeding of the full trays, which is directed towards the hopper, and a 
path for the discharge of the empty trays, which is arranged below the 
tray-feeding path and is directed away from the hopper, a 
loading-and-unloading inclined frame being so provided that its 
longitudinal side members extend laterally to the paths for the feeding 
and the discharge of the trays, in the forward upward direction as far as 
above the inlet opening of the hopper, which frame is mounted for a 
swinging movement around a transversely extending axis, so that it is 
alternately caused to assume two angular positions: a less inclined 
position in which its fore end is lowered toward the inlet opening of the 
hopper, and another more inclined position in which its fore end is lifted 
up from the inlet opening of the hopper, the tray-carrying casing being so 
mounted as to be longitudinally slidable, and at the same time rotatable 
around an axis transversely extending between the longitudinal side 
members of the loading/unloading frame; actuation and control means being 
provided, which determine the following operation: 
Starting from a position in which the loading/unloading oscillating frame 
is located in the angular position in which its upper fore end is at a 
lower level, and the tray-carrying casing is disposed in the overturned 
advanced position, so that it keeps the tray with its downwardly turned 
open mouth over the inlet opening of the hopper, after the said tray has 
been emptied, the loading/unloading frame is moved into the angular 
position in which its upper fore end is at a higher level, whereby the 
tray-carrying casing is lifted up from the hopper inlet opening, whereupon 
the tray-carrying casing is caused to descend, that is to say, to run back 
in the downward direction along the said frame, and it is at the same time 
caused to rotate about itself around the transversely extending axis, so 
as to set again the empty tray in upstanding position. On completion of 
this rotational movement of the tray-carrying casing, the tray-holding 
means are de-actuated, whereby the empty tray falls out of the 
tray-carrying casing, down onto the tray-discharge path, while the 
tray-carrying casing continues its downward movement along the 
loading/unloading inclined frame, until it engages the first full tray at 
stand-by on the tray-feeding path, and withdraws this tray through the 
activation of the tray-holding means. Subsequently, the tray-carrying 
casing is caused to go up, that is to say, it runs forwardly upward on the 
inclined loading-and-unloading frame while being simultaneously rotated, 
at least temporaneously, about itself around the transversely extending 
axis, whereby the so supported full tray is capsized and its closed mouth 
is turned downward. When the tray-carrying casing is located in the 
advanced over-turned position over the inlet opening of the hopper, the 
loading/unloading oscillating frame is swung into its angular position in 
which its upper fore end is at a lower level, thus bringing down the 
tray-carrying casing over the inlet opening of the hopper, whereupon the 
mouth of the tray will be opened. 
The feeder device of the invention can be used in any packing machines, 
particularly also for placing only one full tray over he inlet opening of 
the hopper, and for removing the said tray after is has been emptied, and 
for replacing same with another full tray. In this case, the inlet opening 
of the hopper has a width substantially corresponding to the width of one 
tray. 
Preferably, however, and in a particularly advantageous manner, the device 
according to the invention is used for carrying out the feeding method 
according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,633. This method consists in placing over 
the inlet opening of a hopper having a width which is twice the width of a 
conventional hopper, two trays set into an aligned relation across the 
width thereof, and in alternately allowing the descent of the cigarettes 
into the hopper in correspondence of only one of said trays, until this 
tray is emptied, while in the meantime the previously emptied tray is 
replaced by a full tray. In this case, two feeder devices according to the 
invention are associated with the hopper in a side-by-side relation, and 
each one of these devices is associated to one half of the hopper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the Figures, numeral 1 denotes the hopper of a cigarette-packing 
machine. The inlet opening of this hopper 1 presents a double width, that 
is, a width which is such as to render it possible to set thereover two 
trays 2, in an aligned relation across the width of the hopper, as it 
appears evident from FIG. 3. 
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,633, the descent of the cigarettes into 
the hopper 1 is alternately allowed in correspondence of only one of the 
two superposed aligned trays 2, while in the meantime the previously 
emptied other tray will be replaced by a full tray. 
To each half of the inlet opening of the hopper 1 there is associated an 
automatic feeder device for removing the emptied tray 2 from the hopper, 
and for substituting it with a full tray. These two feeder devices are 
equal the one to the other, so that only one of them will be described 
here. 
Each feeder device comprises a frame 3 which is arranged behind the hopper 
1, in correspondence of the respective half of the hopper inlet opening. 
Onto the said frame there are provided a conveyor 4 for the feeding of the 
full trays 2', directed toward the hopper 1, and an underlying conveyor 5 
for the discharge of the empty trays 2", which move away from the hopper 
1. The conveyor 4 for the feeding of the full trays 2' terminates at a 
distance from hopper 1, and in correspondence of its leading end there is 
provided a pair of microswitches M1 which can be activated by the first 
tray 2' of the file of full trays 2', that is being formed on the 
tray-feeding conveyor 4. A chute 6 for the empty trays 2" extends from a 
point located between the hopper 1 and the leading end of the tray-feeding 
conveyor 4, down to the conveyor 5 for the discharge of the empty trays 
2". Between the chute 6 and the discharge conveyor 5 there is provided a 
transferring device 7 in form of a rocker arm, which is pivotally mounted 
for a rocking movement around the transversely extending axis of pivot 
107, and which is adapted for receiving from chute 6 a tray 2" lying in a 
recumbent position, and for transferring same onto the conveyor 5 in an 
upstanding position, as it is clearly apparent in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
At both sides of frame 3 and of the two conveyors 4, 5 there is provided an 
oscillating longitudinal side frame member 8, obliquely arranged so as to 
point upwardly toward hopper 1, and extending by its upper fore end above 
the inlet opening of hopper 1, and by its rear lower end above the 
conveyor 5 for the discharge of the empty trays 2". The two longitudinal 
members 8 are swingably mounted about a transversely extending common axis 
108 and are interconnected by means of cross members 9 and 10, so that an 
oscillating, loading and unloading inclined single frame is thus formed. 
Onto a longitudinal guide member 11 fastened to each longitudinal side 
frame member 8, a slide 12 is slidably mounted, and by a pneumatic 
cylinder 13 is caused to slide to and fro along the guide member 11 and 
the frame member 8, which cylinder 13 is fixedly mounted onto member 8 and 
has its stem 113 connected to the slide 12. To mutually synchronize the 
movements of both slides 12, these slides are kinematically connected the 
one to the other in any suitable manner. In the shown embodiment, each 
slide 12 is secured to an endless chain 14 led around two idle sprocket 
wheels 114 and 214, mounted in a freely rotatable manner onto the 
respective side frame member 8. The fore sprocket wheel 214 is secured to 
a shaft 15 extending through the interior of the fore tubular cross member 
10 to the opposite side of the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 
9, 10, where onto the same shaft 15 there is secured the idle sprocket 
wheel 214 for the chain 14 bound to the other slide 12. At least one of 
the two slides 12 carries an abutment member 16 that cooperates with two 
limit microswitches M2 and M3 and with an intermediate microswitch M4, 
fastened to the respective side frame member 8. 
Between the two side frame members 8 of the loading/unloading frame there 
is arranged the tray-carrying casing 17 which in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7 is shown 
in the normal upstanding position, while in FIGS. 1, 4, 8 is shown in 
overturned position. The tray-carrying casing 17 has two sidewalls 117 and 
a transverse intermediate wall 217 that divides the said casing 17 (when 
referring to its normal upstanding position) into a rear hollow space 
being adapted for containing a tray 2, and into a fore hollow space 
containing two pneumatic cylinders 18 and 19. In the normal upstanding 
position of the tray-carrying casing, the open mouth of the tray 2 housed 
in said casing 17, is turned upward and can be closed by a gate 20 which 
is slidable within lateral guides 120 of casing 17, and which is shiftable 
by means of cylinder 18. More particularly, in the shown embodiment the 
gate 20 is biased toward the position for closing the casing 17 by an 
extension spring 21 fitted between the intermediate partition wall 217 of 
the tray-carrying casing 17 and an extension 220 of said gate 20, while it 
is moved into the position for opening the casing 17 by the cylinder 18, 
which is fastened to said intermediate partition wall. The stem 118 of 
said cylinder 18 is articulated to a lever arm 22 made integral with a 
layshaft 23 which is rotatably mounted between the two sidewalls 117 of 
casing 17. More than one lever arm 24 integral with the layshaft, are 
hingedly connected to gate 20, as it appears particularly in FIGS. 4 and 
8. 
In the aforementioned normal upstanding position of the tray-carrying 
casing 17, the closed bottom of tray 2 accommodated in casing 17, is 
turned in the downward direction, and the tray 2 is supported by rocking 
tray-holding arms 25 secured to a shaft 125 which is rotatably mounted 
between the sidewalls 117 of casing 17. Articulatedly connected to one of 
these tray-holding arms 25 (or to a lever integral with shaft 125) is the 
stem 119 of cylinder 19, which is fastened to the associated partition 
wall 217 of the tray-carrying casing 17, and which is associated with a 
return spring 26. This spring 26 tends to urge the tray-holding arms 25 
into their active position, in which they support the tray 2, while the 
cylinder 19 is able to swing the tray-holding arms 25 into their inactive 
position, in which they are out of engagement with the tray 2, so that 
they let the tray fall out of the tray-carrying casing 17. 
The tray-carrying casing 17 is supported by both slides 12 so as to be 
overturnable around a transversely extending axis, by means of two 
co-axial stud-like shafts 27 extending outwardly from the sidewalls 117 of 
casing 17, and engaged in the slides 12, as shown particularly in FIG. 6. 
Onto the exterior of each sidewall 117 of the tray-carrying casing 17 a 
gearwheel 28 is fastened co-axially to the respective stud-like shaft 27, 
rotatably engaged in slide 12, which gearwheel is able to mesh with an 
associated rack 29 secured to the respective side frame member 8, and 
extending therealong over a certain distance. 
The rear lower end of at least one of the side frame members 8 is connected 
through a pneumatic cylinder 30 and a return spring 31 to frame 3. The 
spring 31 tends to urge the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 
10 into an inclined angular position in which its upper fore end is at a 
higher level above the inlet opening of hopper 1, as shown in FIG. 2, 
while by counteracting the bias of return spring 31, the cylinder 30 will 
move the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 10 into an inclined 
angular position in which the upper fore end of said frame 8--8, 9, 10 is 
at a lower level above the inlet opening of the hopper 1, as shown in FIG. 
1. In these two angular positions of the loading inclined frame 8--8, 9, 
10, the lower rear end of at least one of the side members 8 thereof 
cooperates with limit microswitches M5, M6. 
Through a rod 32 the transferring rocker arm device 7 is articulatedly 
connected to at least one of the side members 8 of the loading/unloading 
oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 10, in such a manner that it will be angularly 
moved around the axis of pivot 107, about which it rocks, in relation to 
the angular movement of the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 
10, as will be more clearly disclosed hereinafter. To the under-side of 
the cross member 9 of the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 10 
there is fastened an abutment stop member 33 which is adapted for 
cooperating with the empty trays 2" descending along chute 6. 
To describe the operation of the feeder device it is assumed, by way of an 
example, that the starting position is the one shown in FIG. 1 and for 
some details in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 8. In such a starting position, the 
loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 10 is located in the angular 
position in which its upper fore end is lowered toward hopper 1. The pair 
of slides 12 is situated in correspondence of the upper fore end of the 
loading/unloading frame 8--8, 9, 10, and the tray-carrying casing 17 is 
overturned. Therefore, the tray 2 carried by casing 17 has its mouth 
turned downward, and is connected thereby to the inlet opening of hopper 
1. The gate 20 is in the position for opening the mouth of tray 2, so that 
the cigarettes descend from tray 2 into hopper 1. 
On completion of the said emptying step of tray 2, a photocell F provided 
in hopper 1 near its inlet opening promotes the actuation of cylinder 30, 
that moves the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 10 into the 
angular position in which its upper fore end is lifted up away from the 
inlet opening of hopper 1, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the tray-carrying 
casing 17 and the depleted tray 2" accommodated therewithin are lifted up 
and disengaged from the inlet opening of hopper 1. At the beginning of 
this angular movment of the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 
10, the rear lower end thereof sets free the limit microswitch M5, whereby 
this microswitch promotes the actuation of cylinder 18, that shifts the 
gate 20 into the position in which it closes the mouth of the tray. At the 
end of the said angular movement of the loading/unloading oscillating 
frame 8--8, 9, 10, the lower rear end thereof activates the limit switch 
M6, which actuates both cylinders 13 in the direction in which their stems 
113 are retracted. The two slides 12 are then caused to slide downward on 
guides 11 onto the respective side frame member 8, together with the 
tray-carrying casing 17. In the course of such a backward sliding of the 
slides 12, the gearwheels 28 integral with the sidewalls 117 of the 
tray-carrying casing 17, come to mesh with the respective rack 29, and by 
rolling thereon, these gearwheels cause the tray-carrying casing 17 to 
rotate around the transversal axis 27--27, in the anti-clockwise direction 
in FIG. 1. This rotation is concluded, owing to the fact that the 
gearwheels 28 come to be disengaged from the respective rack 29, when the 
tray-carrying casing 17 has performed a rotation of 180.degree., thus 
bringing the empty tray 2", which is accommodated therewithin, into its 
normal upstanding position, that is to say, with the tray mouth turned 
upwardly, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. After such an overturning of the 
tray-carrying casing 17 into its upstanding position, the abutment member 
16 on slide 12 activates the intermediate microswitch M4, that operates 
the cylinder 19, whereby the tray-holding arms 25, up to now kept in the 
position for supporting the tray, are brought into their inactive position 
in which they let the empty tray fall out of the tray-carrying casing 17, 
down onto the underlying chute 6, as shown with dash lines in FIG. 2. This 
empty tray 2" continues its downward movement along chute 6, and is 
stopped by the abutment stop member 33 which in this angular position of 
the loading/unloading oscillating frame 8--8, 9, 10 extends into the path 
of the empty trays 2" arriving along chute 6. 
The pair of slides 12 continues its downward movement on guides 11 arranged 
onto the side frame members 8 and keeps the now empty tray-carrying casing 
17 in the normal up-standing position. At the end of this down travel of 
slides 12, the tray-carrying casing 17 slips over the first full tray 2' 
at stand-by on the feeding conveyor 4. At the same time, the slide 12 
activates the limit microswitch M3. If the activation of said microswitch 
M3 is effected jointly with the activation of the pair of microswitches M1 
at the leading end of the feeding conveyor 4, under the action of a full 
tray 2' at the end of its travel on said conveyor 4, the cylinder 19 will 
be operated in the direction for moving again the tray-holding arms 25 
from their inactive position to their tray-supporting position, in which 
they engage from below the next full tray 2' and keep it into the 
tray-carrying casing 17. At the same time, or with a short time lag, the 
cylinders 13 will be operated in the direction for extending their stems 
113, whereby the pair of slides 12 is caused to slide forward on guides 11 
provided onto the side frame members 8, toward the upper fore ends 
thereof. During the said ascending movement of slides 12, the gearwheels 
28 being made integral with the sidewalls 117 of the tray-carrying casing 
17, come to be again in mesh with their respective racks 29, and by 
rolling thereon, they rotate the tray-carrying casing 17 in the clockwise 
direction in FIGS. 1 and 2, so as to overturn it by 180.degree., and thus 
capsize the full tray 2' accommodated therewithin. At the end of the 
upward travel of the pair of slides 12, the abutment member 16 of at least 
one slide 12 activates the limit microswitch M2 which promotes the 
operation of cylinder 30 in the direction for angularly moving the 
loading/unloading frame 8--8, 9, 10 from the position shown in FIG. 2, to 
the position shown in FIG. 1, thus lowering the upper fore end of said 
frame 8--8, 9, 10 toward the inlet opening of hopper 1. In this way, the 
capsized full tray 2 contained in the tray-carrying casing 17, is 
connected by its downwardly turned mouth with the inlet opening of hopper 
1. On completion of the said angular movement of the loading/unloading 
frame 8--8, 9, 10, the limit microswitch M5 is activated, whereby this 
microswitch actuates the cylinder 18 so as to shift the gate 20 into the 
position for opening the mouth of the tray contained in the tray-carrying 
casing 17, thus causing the cigarettes to descend from this tray into the 
underlying hopper 1. 
When on completion of the upward movement of the pair of slides 12 along 
with the tray-carrying casing 17, the loading/unloading frame 8--8, 9, 10 
is angularly moved so as to have its upper fore end lowered toward the 
inlet opening of hopper 1, the transferring rocker arm device 7 is moved 
into its tray-withdrawing angular position, connected with chute 6, as 
shown in FIG. 1. The abutment stop member 33 is simultaneously lifted up, 
so that the empty tray 2" having been retained thereby, continues its 
travel along chute 6 and is received in the transferring rocker arm device 
7. With the loading/unloading frame 8--8, 9, 10 being subsequently swung 
into its angular position in which its upper fore end is lifted up from 
the inlet opening of the hopper 1, the abutment member 33 is again lowered 
into the position in which it stops the empty trays 2" coming along in 
chute 6, while the transferring rocker arm device 7 is turned into its 
angular position connected to the conveyor 5 onto which the empty trays 2" 
will be discharged, as illustrated in FIG. 2. From the transferring rocker 
arm device 7 the now upstanding empty tray 2" is thus deposited onto the 
conveyor 5 which is caused to travel, for example by steps, simultaneously 
with the feeding conveyor 4, so that while a full tray 2' is being brought 
into withdrawal position in correspondence of the limit microswitches M1, 
the empty tray 2" will be extracted from the transferring rocker arm 
device 7. 
Of course the invention is not limited to the embodiment just described and 
shown, but can be widely changed and modified, the more so in construction 
and within the scope of technically equivalent solutions. Thus, for 
example, at least some of the microswitches M1-M6 might be replaced by any 
other sensors. 
Moreover, to obtain the movement of slides 12, the pneumatic cylinders 13 
might be replaced by reversible speed-down gears operating the chains 14. 
These chains will then perform not only a synchronizing function, but also 
a driving function. The lateral gearwheels which are made integral of the 
tray-carrying casing 17, can be replaced by sector gears.