Patent GB-824858-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for feeding loose bulk material
IPC: A24C5/39
Filed: 1956-07-31
Abstract: 824,858. Cigarette-making machines. PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ Inc. July 31, 1956 [Aug. 12, 1955], No. 23576/56. Class 130. [Also in Group XXX] Tobacco is fed to a series of cigarette machines situated at spaced positions along a conveyer by a number of blower devices which are intermittently operated either simultaneously or in timed sequence for deflecting successive increments of material from the conveyer laterally into receiving means associated with each machine, these blowing operations being repeated until a desired predetermined supply has accumulated in at least one of the receiving means, after which operation of the blower device feeding the latter receiving means is discontinued while the blowing operations are continued to feed material to the remaining receiving means. As shown, two belt conveyers 22, 23 are provided for supplying two rows of machines Al to A5 and B1 to B5 these conveyers being supplied alternately with material from a master feed conveyer 20 by periodically reversing the direction of movement of a transverse conveyer 21. Blowers 24, 27, 28, 29, 42, 43, 44 and 45 are associated with the machines A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 B2, B3 and B4 respectively, the machines A5 and B5 being fed with the residue of material remaining on the belt. Each blower comprises a nozzle 30 which projects laterally into a casing 53 in which the belt 22 or 23 runs, so that upon operation of a blower tobacco is discharged laterally into a corresponding duct leading to the hopper of the associated machine. The blowers associated with each of the conveyers 22 and 23 operate in two phases, the blowers of one conveyer operating in phase 1 while those of the other conveyer operate in phase 2. Conveyer 21 is driven in a direction to feed material on to the conveyer operating in phase 1, e.g. conveyer 22, Fig. 6, and during this phase the associated blowers 24, 27, 28 and 29 are operated in timed sequence and in timed relationship with the movement of conveyer 22, so that each blower is switched on when the tobacco reaches it and remains in operation for a time equal to the time it would take the tobacco to reach the next blower, the blowers being equally spaced along conveyer 22. After blower 29 has ceased operating material passes to duct 38 leading to the machine A5 to feed a similar increment to that machine after which the conveyer 22 is stopped and phase 2 commences. In phase 2, Fig. 10, conveyer 21 has been reversed so that no material is fed to the belt 22. The blowers 24, 27, 28 and 29 are now simultaneously operated and the belt 22 driven to distribute the remaining material to the machines A1 to A5. Fig. 11 illustrates the use of a series of cams CA-1 to CA-4 and CB-1 to CB-4 mounted on a common shaft 61 driven by a synchronous motor 60 for actuating switches controlling the sequential operation of the blowers 24, 27, 28, 29, 42, 43, 44 and 45, and other cams CAA, CBC, for respectively energizing relays CAAR and CBBR controlling sets of contacts 79, 82 for the simultaneous operation of the two sets of blowers, the circuits through these contacts being completed through further cams CAAC and CBBC. A relay TFR controlling conveyer 20 is operated by contacts controlled by cam TFC, while further relays SAFR and SARR controlling forward and reverse movements of conveyer 21 are operated by contacts controlled by cams SAFC, SARC respectively. In order to prevent material being fed to the last hopper 39 or 50 in each series if these are full a further relay SOR is provided which includes contacts in the circuits of the relays controlling all the motors and blowers, and which is operated by contacts 115, 167 and 195 in parallel with one another and controlled by cams SOC, CA-5 and CB-10, the arrangement being such that when contact 115 is opened the circuit to relay SOR is normally maintained through contacts 167 and/or 195. However should hoppers 39 and 50 be full level switches LS-5 and LS-10 in the respective hoppers are opened in the circuit of contacts 167 and 195 causing relay SOR to be deenergized and the apparatus to stop in advance of the position at which material is normally discharged into the hoppers 39 and 50. Manually controlled switches SO-5 and SO-10 are also provided for use where machine A5 or B5 is to be shut down. In order to prevent material being fed to the hoppers fed by the nozzles if one or more of these are full level switches LS-1 to LS-9 in these hoppers are included in the circuits to the respective blowers. Manually controlled switches SO-1 to SO-9 are also provided for use where one or more of the machines fed by these hoppers are to be shut down. To cope with the condition where machines A5 and B5 are closed down and one or more of the level switches in the hoppers of the remaining machines are opened further conveyer or control features may be applied to cause recirculation to the supply source of surplus tobacco. Specification 824,857 is referred to.