Patent GB-1048657-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for checking the ends of rod-like tobacco or associated articles
Inventor: KOCHALSKI HORST
IPC: A24C5/343
Filed: 1962-11-19
Abstract: 1,048,657. Cigarette-making machines. K. KÍRBER. Jan. 29, 1964 [Nov. 19, 1962], No. 43620/62. Heading A2C. Apparatus for checking the filling of cigarettes or similar rod-like tobacco articles comprises a conveyer for moving the cigarettes transversely to their axes past a checking head which offers a feeler pin to one end of each cigarette and is moved synchronously with the cigarette, means for maintaining the feeler pin clear of the end of each cigarette and for releasing each pin at a point near the engagement with the respective cigarette so that the feeler pin is freed to move forward into a faulty cigarette or is prevented from moving forward by an acceptable cigarette, and means for rejecting a faulty cigarette in response to movement of the feeler pin into the end thereof. As shown in Fig. 1 the cigarettes Z are carried on a conveyer 1 past a rotary head 4 having control pins 13 each associated with a feeler pin 15. Detent means are provided for maintaining the feeler pin clear of the end of each cigarette and for releasing the pins and are formed by a recess 25 in control pins 13 located in the head 4 and corresponding projections 27 on the feeler pins 15 (Fig. 8). Before testing, the control pins are depressed by a cam 11, and a guide 14 pushes the feeler pins inwards so that upon release of the control pins 13 by the cam 11 the feeler pins 15 are held in a retracted position. Immediately prior to testing, a further cam 12 depresses the control pins 13 and releases the feeler pins 15. If the cigarette is acceptable the pin 15 is pushed back so that on release of the control pin 13 by the cam 12 it is held by the detent means. If the cigarette is unacceptable the pin 15 enters the end of the cigarette so that it remains in a projected position and the pin 13 rises above its normal position upon release by the cam 12. Upon further rotation of the head 4 the raised pin 13 operates a lever 5 which controls the valve 6 to admit air pressure to a blower nozzle 9 for ejecting the faulty cigarette Z1. Alternatively (Fig. 4) the pins 15, which are supported by and biased outwardly by leaf springs 28, and may be held in their projecting positions after testing a faulty cigarette by a flange 24 on the control pins 13. A lever 34 then replaces the lever 5 and is operated by the feeler pins 15 instead of the control pins 13. In a second embodiment ((Figs. 22 and 23) the feeler pins comprise permanent magnets 59 mounted on springs 53 attached to a plate 48 of a rotating checking head. An adjustable disc 44 governs the tension in the springs 53. A non-ferrous spacing disc 41 rotates with the head above a fixed steel ring 57, the circumference of which is formed with a magnetic pole of opposite polarity to that on the end 59b of the pin magnets 59. This pole is of sufficient strength to hold the pin magnets 59 against the disc 41 except at the checking station G when the ring 57 is cut away at 60, thus releasing the pin magnets 59. An acceptable cigarette holds the pin magnet 59 against the disc 41 until it has passed the recess 60 and is again held by the magnetic ring 57. A faulty cigarette allows the pin 59 to enter its end under the action of the spring 53 so that upon passing the recess 60 it is too far away from the ring 57 to be attracted thereby and remains in a projected position. A magnetic switch 62 is operated only by a projected pin 59 and is connected so that upon actuation a rejector device is operated.