Patent GB-1316859-A (GB)
Title: Magazine filling device for rod-like articles
IPC: A24C5/356
Filed: 1970-07-08
Abstract: 1316859 Emptying cigarettes &c. from trays into a magazine HAUNI-WERKE KORBER & CO KG 8 July 1970 [2 Aug 1969] 33168/70 Addition to 1205843 Heading B8C In an arrangement for filling a magazine 204 in a machine for manipulating cigarettes, or similar rod-like articles, the loading tray of a number of trays 209, fed by conveyers 208 along an upper platform 206, is received in a tray holder 214 which has side clamps 226 displaced outwardly and which is displaced laterally along shafts 217, 223 and subsequently rocked upwardly about the shafts 217, 223 by mechanism, not shown, to lie against a transparent plastics panel 269 extending upwardly from the rear wall 204d of the magazine 204 and rest in an inverted position upon a carrier 246 retracted in the upper end of the magazine 204. The carrier frame 246 is guided by rods 247, 248 which work in bushes 251, 252 for raising and lowering by a rack 259 and pinion 258 driven by a motor 257, the front wall of the frame 246 being formed by closely-spaced strips 288À1-288À30 which are slidably received in corresponding recesses 289À1-289À30 in the interior face of the front wall 204c of the magazine 204. When light sensors 263, 264, carried by side walls 286, 287 of the frame 246, which slide in corresponding recesses 292 in the magazine side walls 204a, detect no cigarettes at their level the holder 214 is swung upwardly from its waiting position, Fig. 1, and placed, in an inverted emptying position, over the lowered carrier frame 246, rods 265 pressing spring- loaded support members 227 out of their support position and the holding clamps 226 being received in recesses 271 in the sides of the plastics plate 269. When a cover-plate 236, extending across the bottom of the tray, is released by operating mechanism, not shown, the motor 257 is started and the carrier frame 246 is raised to its uppermost position where the tray resting thereon is empty and a limit switch stops the motor 257 and reverses the light control 263, 264 and the direction in which the motor 257 will rotate to prepare for the lowering of the carrier frame 246. When, with the frame 246 in its upper position and the level of cigarettes drops below the level of the light control 263, 264, the holder 214 is rocked downwardly in an opposite sense the empty tray being guided by a wire loop 266. The holder 214 is then moved laterally, along the guides 217, 223 to a position above lowering guides 213 for depositing the empty tray on a lower platform 207 having transfer conveyers 211, 211, and for picking up a new full tray 209. The holder 214 with the full tray is subsequently moved back to its waiting position, Fig. 1, in front of the magazine 204. Simultaneously the motor 257 is started to lower the support frame 246 in steps stopping each time the light control 263, 264 becomes obstructed by the cigarettes, until the frame 246 reaches its lowermost position. At this position the light control 263, 264 is again reversed to prepare for operation of the motor 257 for raising the frame 246. The tray holder 214 is rocked upwardly again to place the fresh tray 209 on to the frame 246 after withdrawal of cigarettes by a mechanism 203 from the magazine 204 causes the cigarette level to drop below the light control 263, 264. In a modification, Fig. 3, not shown, each side wall has two strips (391a, 391b) which are slidable within recesses (392a, 392b) in the side walls of the magazine.