RESERVOIR SYSTEM FOR ROD-LIKE ARTICLES

Abstract: A reservoir system (14) for a multi-layer stream of rod-like articles such as cigarettes is movable laterally so as to vary the radial position at which respective infeed and outfeed conveyors (16, 18) engage with upper and lower spiral conveyors (14A, 14B) of the reservoir and so vary the capacity of the reservoir by varying the length of the stream on the spiral conveyors (20A, 20B). In alternative arrangements the reservoir may comprise spiral conveyors (14A, 14B) which take the form of shallow helixes, and the infeed and outfeed conveyors (116, 118) may be pivotable or laterally displaceable to track the spiral conveyors.

Description: l Reservoir System for Rod-Like Articles 2 3 This invention relates to reservoir systems for rod-like articles, 4 particularly articles of the tobacco industry such as cigarettes or cigarette 5 filter rods. e In the manufacture of articles of the tobacco industry, it is 7 common to transport the articles directly from a delivery device such as β a producing machine to a receiving device such as a packing machine, 9 with the articles being conveyed in the form of a continuous multi-layer ιo stream of articles moving in a direction transverse to the length of the a articles. Typically such streams are 90-100mm in height. It is known to i2 provide conveyor systems for such articles which incorporate a buffer i3 reservoir facility for accommodating temporary or longer term differences iA in the rates of operation of the delivery and receiving devices. Known is buffer reservoirs providing this facility may incorporate variable length i6 conveyors for storing directly a stream of articles in multi-layer stack i7 formation. Such known buffer reservoirs include those of the so-called is first-in first-out (FIFO) where the first articles which enter the reservoir are i9 the first to leave. Examples of such reservoirs are disclosed in British 20 Patent Specification No 1301843 and European Patent Specification No 2i 557933A. This latter specification discloses a variable capacity 22 reversible reservoir in the form of upper and lower generally horizontal 23 circular mass-flow conveyors, the path of the mass-flow stream passing 24 from the upper to the lower conveyor at an angular position which varies 25 to vary the path length and hence the capacity of the reservoir. 26 According to one aspect of the invention a reservoir system for a 27 stream of rod-like articles in multi-layer stack formation comprises 2β conveyor means defining a spiral path for said stream, first transfer 29 means for delivering articles to said path, second transfer means for 30 receiving articles from said path, and drive means for effecting relative 3i movement between at least one of said transfer means and said 32 conveyor means to vary the length of said path between said first and 33 second transfer means. Preferably said relative movement consists of 34 tracking of said spiral path by said at least one transfer means. 35 In a preferred arrangement the conveyor means comprises a 36 laterally flexible conveyor constrained on a spiral path by guide means, 37 the drive means causing rotational movement of the spiral path about its 38 axis and translational movement of the axis relative to the at least one 1 transfer means, so that a stream may be continuously conveyed 2 between said spiral path and said transfer means during operation of 3 said drive means. 4 According to another aspect of the invention, a reservoir system 5 for a stream of rod-like articles in multi-layer stack formation comprises 6 conveyor means defining a spiral path for said stream, transfer means 7 for transferring a stream between said path and further conveyor means, s and drive means for causing said transfer means to track said spiral path 9 to vary the length of said stream on said path. ιo The term "spiral" as used herein in relation to a path is intended to a include a path including significant arcuate portions progressing more i2 than once around an actual or notional axis at progressively changing i3 radial distance from the axis or otherwise including a series of turns lying i4 nominally one within the other (but not necessarily ail in the same plane). is Thus, in either of the aspects of the invention the spiral path need i6 not be flat, i.e. it could also be helical. For example, the turns of the i7 spiral path could be at progressively differing levels, e.g. so that adjacent is portions of the path in different turns are at levels which differ by i approximately the height of the stream on the path. Such an 20 arrangement may provide improved access to inner turns of the path. In 2i this case, of course, if the transfer means tracks the path preferably it 22 has sufficient freedom of vertical movement to follow the path; 23 alternatively, or additionally, the path itself could move vertically to 24 maintain alignment with the transfer means. 25 The invention will be further described, by way of example only, 26 with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: 27 Figure 1 is a plan view of a mass-flow reservoir system, with the 28 reservoir in a first operative position, 29 Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing a lower part of the 30 reservoir of Figure 1 , 3i Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding respectively to those of 32 Figures 1 and 2 but with the reservoir in a second operative position, 33 Figure 5 is a view in the direction of arrow V in Figure 1 , 34 Figure 6 is a detailed plan view in the direction of arrow VI in 35 Figure 5, 36 Figure 7 is a side view of a modified reservoir system, 37 Figure 8 is a plan view of a further modified reservoir system, and 38 Figure 9 is a plan view of a still further modified reservoir system. l The system of Figures 1 -6 forms part of a conveyor system linking 2 a cigarette making machine 10 and a cigarette packing machine 12, and 3 includes a variable capacity reservoir 14 having an upper part 14A 4 located substantially directly above a lower part 14B. Cigarettes in 5 multi-layer stack formation are delivered to the reservoir 14 on an infeed 6 conveyor 16; a similar stream of cigarettes is delivered from the reservoir 7 on an outfeed conveyor 18. s The upper part 14A of the reservoir comprises a laterally flexible 9 conveyor 20A (e.g. comprising a conveyor available under the trade 10 name SKF Flex-Link and as used in Molins' CONCORD reservoir a system), arranged in a generally horizontal spiral configuration. The i2 conveyor 20A passes around an end pulley 22 at its outer end (see also i3 Figure 5) and a pulley 24 at its inner end. i Other support pulleys and/or guides (not shown) extend along the is length of the conveyor 20A. i6 Adjacent to the inner end pulley 24 is a downdrop or chute 30 i7 leading to the lower part 14B of the reservoir, which is of substantially is similar construction to the upper part. The lower part 14B comprises a i9 laterally flexible conveyor 20B passing around an end pulley 23 at its 2o inner end and a pulley 25 at its outer end. The conveyor 20B is 2i supported on additional pulleys and/or guides (not shown) in the same 22 way as is the conveyor 20A. All of these pulleys and/or guides are 23 mounted, directly or indirectly, on a reservoir frame, which is indicated 2 schematically at 15 in Figure 1. 25 It will be appreciated that a cigarette stream delivered by the 26 infeed conveyor 16 passes along the spiral path on the conveyor 20A, 27 down the downdrop 30, along the corresponding spiral path on the 28 conveyor 20B, and then onto the outfeed conveyor 18. Drive means (not 29 shown) is provided for moving the respective conveyors 16, 20A, 20B 30 and 18 in the appropriate directions and at the appropriate speeds. The 3i drive means includes fixed motors for the conveyors 16 and 18, e.g. 32 connected to respective end pulleys for these conveyors, and separate 33 motors mounted on the frame 15 and connected for example to the 34 pulleys 24 and 25 for the conveyors 20A and 20B respectively. 35 A drive motor 26 and drive sprockets 28 engage the reservoir 14 36 so as to be capable of rotating the reservoir about its axis 32 relative to 37 the frame 15. For this purpose the motor 26 is mounted on the frame 15. 38 Fixed drive means 34 (Figure 2) is capable of reversibly moving the 1 reservoir 14 bodily so that the axis 32 of the reservoir is movable in the 2 direction of arrow 36. 3 In the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the reservoir 14 is full. In 4 order to unload the reservoir 14 and hence reduce its capacity (as would 5 be required when the packing machine 12 requires more cigarettes than β the making machine 10 can produce), the reservoir is rotated in a 7 clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 (by operation of motor β 26) and at the same time moved bodily (by drive means 34) so as to 9 maintain the infeed and outfeed conveyors 16, 18 aligned with the ιo respective parts of the conveyors 20A and 20B. It will be appreciated ιι that the parts 14A and 14B remain relatively fixed during this rotational i2 and translational movement. i3 Figures 3 and 4 show the position when the reservoir reaches its i4 minimum capacity; Figure 4 indicates at 14X the relative corresponding is position of the reservoir 14 at its maximum capacity. i6 Figures 5 and 6 show details of the infeed and outfeed between i7 the respective conveyors 16 and 20A and 18 and 20B. Note that the is conveyors 20A and 16 include laterally spaced parts to allow overlap (as i9 do the conveyors 18 and 20B). 20 Instead of moving the reservoir 14 relative to the infeed and 2i outfeed conveyors 16, 18, the latter conveyors could be moved relative 22 to the reservoir, similar to the movement of a record player turntable arm. 23 Thus, these conveyors could have movable end portions, which could 24 be pivoted or linearly movable, connected to relatively fixed parts of the 25 respective conveyors by articulated or laterally flexible connections for 26 example. Figure 8 shows an upper part 214A of a reservoir 214 in which 27 an infeed conveyor 216 includes a laterally flexible part 216A connecting 28 a relatively fixed part to a movable part 216B engageable with a 29 conveyor 220A at the positions shown and at intermediate positions. 30 Figure 9 shows an upper part 314A of a reservoir 314 including an infeed 3i conveyor 316 including a part 316A pivotally mounted at 316X and 32 movable between the positions shown. Similar arrangements are 33 provided for the respective outfeed conveyors of the reservoirs 214 and 34 314, which are otherwise similar to the reservoir 14. 35 Figure 7 shows a modified reservoir 114 which is similar to that of 36 Figures 1-6 but in which each of the upper and lower parts 114A,114B is 37 formed as a relatively shallow helix instead of as a flat spiral. Radially 38 adjacent parts of these paths are thus at different levels, preferably differing by about the height of a stream of cigarettes on the path: access to radially inner parts of the path is therefore improved. Infeed and outfeed conveyors 116 and 118 may be pivoted at 116A and 118A respectively to allow them to maintain contact with the paths 114A and 114B at different levels. Alternatively, or additionally, the reservoir 114 may be moved up or down, by drive means 140 as indicated in Figure 7.

Claims: l Claims 2 3 1. A reservoir system for a stream of rod-like articles in 4 multi-layer stack formation, comprising conveyor means defining a spiral 5 path for said stream, first transfer means for delivering articles to said 6 path, second transfer means for receiving articles from said path, and 7 drive means for effecting relative movement between at least one of said a transfer means and said conveyor means to vary the length of said path 9 between said first and second transfer means. 10 n 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said drive means is i2 arranged to cause tracking of said spiral path by said at least one i3 transfer means. 14 is 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the i6 conveyor means comprises a laterally flexible conveyor constrained on i7 said spiral path by guide means, the drive means causing rotational is movement of the spiral path about an axis and translational movement of i9 the axis relative to the at least one transfer means, so that a stream may 20 be continuously conveyed between said spiral path and said transfer 2i means during operation of said drive means. 22 23 4. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said 24 conveyor means defines first and second substantially coaxial spiral path 25 portions lying one above the other, and means connecting said spiral 26 path potions, whereby a stream of articles extending between said first 27 and second transfer means traverses said spiral path portions in 28 sequence. 29 30 5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means 3i connecting said spiral path portions extends between respective ends of 32 said path portions lying at radially inner positions relative to said path 33 portions and at different levels. 34 35 6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said first 36 transfer means is arranged to deliver articles to one of said spiral path 37 portions and said second transfer means is arranged to receive articles 38 from the other of said spiral path portions. 1 7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said 2 transfer means comprise respective further conveyor means extending 3 tangentially relative to said path. 4 5 8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said 6 transfer means comprise substantially parallel conveyors which are in 7 substantial vertical alignment adjacent said spiral path. 8 9 9. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said ιo drive means includes means for moving at least one of said transfer ιι means. 12 i3 10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said at least one i4 transfer means includes a conveyor section, including means for laterally is displacing said conveyor section. 16 i7 11. A reservoir system for a stream of rod-like articles in is multi-layer stack formation, comprising conveyor means defining a spiral i9 path for said stream, transfer means for transferring a stream between 20 said path and further conveyor means, and drive means for causing said 2i transfer means to track said spiral path to vary the length of said stream 22 on said path. 23 24 12. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the 25 turns of said spiral path are at progressively different levels. 26 27 13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the levels differ 28 by an amount corresponding to the height of a stream of articles on said 29 path. 30 3i 14. A system as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the transfer 32 means includes means for transferring a stream at different levels. 33 34 15. A system as claimed in any of claims 12 to 14, wherein said 35 drive means includes means for raising and lowering said conveyor 36 means so as to allow alignment of different parts of said conveyor means 37 with said transfer means. 38 1 16. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the 2 drive means includes means for causing rotational movement of said 3 spiral path. 4 5 17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drive means 6 includes means for causing relative translational movement of said spiral 7 path and said transfer means. 8 9 18. A system as claimed in claim 17, including means for ιo synchronising the rotational and translational movements caused by said ιι drive means. 12 i3 19. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said i transfer means engages a radially outer part of said spiral path when is said length of the stream on said path is relatively long and engages a i6 radially inner part of said spiral path when said length is relatively short. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Inventors: BAILEY THOMAS WILLIAM, BAILEY, THOMAS, WILLIAM
Applicants: BAILEY THOMAS WILLIAM, MOLINS PLC, BAILEY, THOMAS, WILLIAM
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A24C5
IPC codes: A24C5, B65G47