Patent GB-1120174-A (GB)
Title: Method of and apparatus for checking cigarettes or other air-permeable rod-like articles
IPC: A24C5/34
Filed: 1965-12-20
Abstract: 1,120,174. Testing cigarettes. HAUNI-WERKE KÍRBER & CO. K.G. 20 Dec., 1965 [23 Jan., 1965], No. 53889/65. Heading A2C. A method, of testing cigarettes or like articles travelling transversely to their axes, by passing an air test current therethrough, is characterized in that the test current pertaining, to every nth article provides a separate train of signals so that altogether n such trains are produced and each such signal controls the continuing conveyance or the rejection of the respective article. In apparatus for carrying out the method cigarettes are conveyed in grooved members 328; 330, 332 and 334 on a drum; 300 rotatably mounted on a shaft 302 and driven by a gear 308. The cigarettes are held in the grooves by suction applied through apertures 336 and ducts 338. A rotary flange 310, rotates with the drum 300, and bears against a spring biased control ring 312. The ducts 338 are continued through the flange 310 and communicate with a duct 341 in the control ring leading to a main suction duct 342 in the shaft 302. The periphery of the drum is also connected to pressure air through apertures 344 and ducts 346 in the drum, duct 348 in the flange 310 and a main duct 350, 352 in the shaft 302. Rotary valves 354 in the flange 310 control the application of either suction to apertures 336 or pressure to apertures 344. Stationary cams 314 and 325 are provided at the ends of the drum which, by means of rollers 392, operate slide valves 384 and 386 to grip a cigarette at the testing position shown at the top of the drum in Fig. 1. Each slide valve has a centre duct 373 and openings 374, 375. The slide valves are displaced under sliders 376, 378 (Fig. 5) provided with two series of ducts 394, 400 and 396, 398 respectively which register in the testing position with either openings 374 or 375. Above the sliders are positioned stationary test blocks 404, 406, provided with slots 412, 414 and 420, 422 respectively. A source of testing air current is applied to the slots 412, 414 in the test block 404 and alternate cigarettes are tested by the air current passing either through slot 412, duct 396, opening 375 and duct 373 of the slider 384, through the cigarette duct 373 and opening 374 of the slider 386, duct 398 and slot 420 of test blocks 406, or through slot 414, duct 394, opening 374 and duct 373 of slider 384, through the cigarette, duct 373 and opening 375 of slider 386, duct 400 and slot 422 of test block 406. The testing air currents are fed through lines 424, 426 from slots 420, 422 respectively to pulse transmitters 428, 430. If the test shows a cigarette to be faulty the pulse is passed to one of two signal stores 440 or 441, through control line 432 or 434 respectively to actuate a coil 436 or coil 438 to move a lever 366 one way or the other from a neutral position so as to engage a projection 362 on the rotary valve 354 associated with the grooves in which the faulty cigarette is held, thus cutting off suction to the apertures 336 and applying compressed air to apertures 344 to reject the cigarette. The valves 354 are arranged circumferentially in two axially spaced rows, one row corresponding to tests made through the slot 412 and the other to tests made through the slot 414. The valves 354 are re-set by further lugs 364 thereon which engage fixed projections 371, Fig. 2 (not shown). In a modification, Figs. 6 and 9 (not shown) separate actuating levers operated independently by the coils 436 and 438 are employed in which case the slots in the test blocks may be circumferentially offset with respect to each other. In a further embodiment, Figs. 10 and 11 (not shown) the test air current is applied through an axial duct in the shaft 302 and a slide valve flange instead of through testing blocks 404 and 406.