Patent GB-1404141-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for handling articles eg rodlike articles such  as cigarettes
IPC: B65G37/00
Filed: 1972-07-21
Abstract: 1404141 Apparatus for handling articles such as cigarettes MOLINS Ltd 21 July 1972 [2 Aug 1971 21 July 1972 (2)] 36319/71 34123/72 and 34124/72 Headings B8A and B8C Apparatus for handling cigarettes or other rod-like articles, comprises means for feeding a stream of such articles transversely to their lengths; batch-forming means including first retaining means for successively forming articles from the stream into batches confined by said retaining means, each batch comprising a stack of articles; means for transferring successive batches of articles from said retaining means into containers at a loading station 2; batchremoving means for successively removing batches of articles from the containers at an unloading station 9; second retaining means for receiving and confining batches of articles removed from the containers; means for removing said second retaining means; and means for conveying away from said unloading station, as a continuous stream, batches of articles received by the second retaining means. As shown in Fig. 1, in an apparatus for circulating containers 12 in succession around a closed path empty, open-fronted, containers 12, Figs. 2, 3, drawn from a reserve R 2 , are transported one at a time, by an intermittently-driven down feed conveyer 1, to the cigarette-loading station 2, the loaded containers 12 then being transferred, by a reciprocating pusher 4, off a platform 3 and on to a continuously driven cross-feed conveyer 5 which forms a reserve of loaded containers R 1  the leading container of which is retained by a stop 6 at the lower end of an intermittently-driven cross-feed conveyer 7. The latter carries each container up to the cigarette unloading station 9, the empty containers then being transferred, by a pusher 8, on to another continuously-driven cross-feed conveyer 10 which transfers the containers 12 to the reserve R 2  each container having a lug 21 on each side so that the leading container in the reserve R 2  is held, until required by the downfeed conveyer 1, by a withdrawable projection 11. A fixed stop 69 ensures correct positioning of the leading container 12 on the conveyer 1. The latter comprises a pair of spaced chains 1a, 1b, Fig. 4, provided with fingers 22 to support the containers 12, each lowering step of the conveyer 1 being equal to the height of one container compartment 18, allowance being periodically made for the added space between successive containers 12. The upfeed conveyer 7 is generally of the same construction as the downfeed conveyer 1. The loading station 2 comprises an endless conveyer 26, Fig. 4, which is driven synchronously with the conveyer 1 and is provided with divider plates 27 which can be projected through slats of the conveyer by a cammechanism (31-36), Fig. 7, not shown, to sub-divide a continuous stream 28 of cigarettes, fed from one, or more, cigarette making machines on to the conveyer 26 into batches of a size to fit neatly into a container compartment 18. Each batch is transferred into a corresponding compartment 18 over a bridging plate (42), Fig. 5, not shown, by a reciprocating pusher (41). As the plates 27 are raised they are vibrated due to steps in the cam plate 36. The upper runs of the cross-feed conveyers 5 and 10 are supported respectively by plates 47, and 67, 68. The unloading station 9, Fig. 9, comprises an endless conveyer 52, generally similar to the conveyer 26, the plates 53 being biased to project from the conveyer and the cam mechanism 54 causing retraction of the plates 53 as required. Whilst the conveyers 7a, 7b, and 52 are stationary a U-shaped scoop (55), Figs. 10-13, not shown, operates in conjunction with a stripper plate (56) to remove a batch of cigarettes from a compartment (18) and deposit the batch on the conveyer 52 between a pair of plates 53a, 53b, the conveyer 52 then starting to move again and the plate 53a being retracted by the cam 54 to add the batch to a continuous stream of cigarettes 59. The latter is fed by conveyers 60, 61 to a variable-volume reservoir 74a, 74b and to a shoot 62 leading to a cigarette packing machine, not shown. If one, or more, of the cigarette making machines should stop an arm 70, Fig. 4, pivots downwardly and stops a drive unit 25 for the loading unit, the cigarette packing machine being kept running however by drawing filled containers from the reserve R 1 . Conversely if the cigarette packing machine stops the arms 74a, 74b of the reservoir, Fig. 9, pivot upwardly and eventually stop the drive 51 of the loading unit the cigarette making machines being kept running by drawing empty containers from the reserve R 2 . A modification of apparatus for carrying containers 12 to-andfro between cigarette loading and unloading stations comprises a cigarette loading station 77 which is identical to the loading station 2, Fig. 1, a vertical conveyer 76, and trolleys 80, each of which is adapted to carry a number of containers 112, Figs. 14, 15, and move, in steps, along guide rails 82, 83. In operation a trolley 80, each of which is adapted to carry a number of containers 112 in chambers 88, is advanced by a rotatable disc 94 with pins 94 so that a container 112 is located between a pair of chains 76a, 76b of the conveyer 76 to bring the lowermost compartment 118 opposite the cigarette loading station 77, the compartments being filled in turn as previously described with reference to Fig. 4. The container 112 is then lowered by the chains 76a, 76b back into the chamber 88 from which it was removed. The trolley then moves forward one container pitch and when all of the containers in the trolley have been filled the trolley is moved on by the pins 98 of a second disc 99. The trolley is then moved either directly, or via a store of trolleys, to a position such that the containers 112 can be removed from the trolley, one at a time, have the cigarettes removed from their compartments and returned to the trolley in substantially the same manner as described in Fig. 14 except that the containers would be emptied at an unloading station. A suitable form of machine layout is described with reference to Fig. 16, not shown. In an arrangement in which loading and unloading stations are combined into a single unit, Fig. 17, cigarettes from a cigarette making machine C.M.1 are fed as a stream to a packing machine P.M.1, excess cigarettes being fed to a storage unit SU, Figs. 19, 20, not shown, from which they may be withdrawn to supply the packing machine, as required. Two other forms of apparatus, Figs. 21, 22, and 23, 24, not shown, respectively are described for dividing a stream of cigarettes supplied from a cigarette-making machine.