1964-04-15

Abstract of GB955596 955,596. Conveying filter-tip cigarettes. G. F. PEMBROKE, J. G. E. HILLMAN, and MOLINS MACHINE CO. Ltd. June 7, 1961 [June 8, 1960], No. 20094/60. Heading A2C. One of two rows of filter-tip cigarettes, while being conveyed from the cutting device of a filter-tip cigarette-making machine, is first slightly displaced axially by a wedge and then further displaced axially by an air blast directed against the ends of the cigarettes to separate the rows prior to the collecting tray filling operation. Assemblages consisting of two pieces of cigarette rod with a double length filter tip between, secured together by a wrapping strip, are fed by a fluted drum 1 (Fig. 1) to a cutting disc 4, which bisects each one to form two filter-tip cigarettes. The separated cigarettes roll down a stripper ramp 6, under a light spring plate 7, passing either side of a wedge 5 (Fig. 4), to a roller 8 on which the stub parts only of the cigarettes are subjected to rolling pressure under an arcuate plate 9. The cigarettes then fall into the flutes of a drum 11, passing either side of a plate 10 (Figs. 1 and 3) through which an air blast is directed from an aperture 19 against the ends of the near side row of cigarettes moving them axially to an extent determined by a stop disc 14 rotating with the drum 11. The near side row then roll down a stripper plate 12 to a conveyer 13 leading to a tray filling device. The far row is carried by a chain conveyer 15 to a rotatable suction head 16, which siezes and turns each cigarette through 180 degrees, as described in Specification 900,387, before depositing them on to another conveyer. In one modification (Fig. 5, not shown), the assemblages are conveyed in a controlled manner by a chain having vertical abutments, against which the cigarettes rest, which carries them through the cutting disc 4. The cut cigarettes are temporarily released from the chain to pass through a rolling device. On returning to the chain, the rows are axially separated, and one rows is passed to the stripper plate 12 and the other to the suction head 16. In another modification (Fig. 6, not shown), the cigarettes are stripped from the drum 1 by lugs on a plurality of axially spaced conveyer discs. The cigarettes, while on the conveyer, and after being initially controlled by a light spring, are raised slightly by a drum placed between the discs and the tips of the cigarettes are rolled between this drum and an arcuate plate. The cigarettes then return to the conveyer to be separated by an air blast, and one row is turned through 180 degrees as before.

0

1964-04-15

A24C5/33 ; A24C5/32

A24C5/33T

GB19600020094 19600608

GB19600020094 19600608

1	Perfectionnements aux appareils de transport des cigarettes
	Inventor:	Applicant: MOLINS MACHINE CO LTD
	EC:A24C5/33T	IPC: A24C5/33;A24C5/32
	Publication info: FR1292490 A - 1962-05-04
2	Improvements in apparatus for conveying cigarettes
	Inventor:	Applicant: GEORGE FREDERICK PEMBROKE; JAMES GEORGE EDWARD HILLMAN; (+1)
	EC:A24C5/33T	IPC: A24C5/33;A24C5/32
	Publication info: GB955596 A - 1964-04-15

3 Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims

1 or 2, comprising a rolling passage disposed along the path of conveyance and arranged to 65 roll the stub parts of the said cigarettes.

4 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, in which the rolling passage comprises a roller and an arcuate plate spaced apart therefrom.

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or 70 Claim 4, wherein the said cigarettes of one row are delivered by the roller to a succession of locating means (e g the flutes of a drum) from which they are removed by a stripper plate and delivered to a conveyor band lead 75 ing to the tray-filling apparatus, while the other row is conveyed from the said roller in spaced relationship to a rotary suction device arranged to receive and turn them through 1800 to reverse the cigarettes endwise before 80 delivery to the said conveyor band.

6 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the said cigarettes while being conveyed from the cutting device of the filter-tip cigarette-making machine to the said stripper plate 85 or to the suction head, are carried by the conveyor member having abutments which locate the cigarettes in the desired spaced relationship.

7 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 where go in the said roller of the rolling passage lifts successive cigarettes of one row from the abutment of the conveyor member locating each cigarette and causes them to roll through the rolling passage, at the end of which each 95 cigarette is returned to its previous locating abutment thereby restoring the desired spaced relationship.

8 Filter-tip cigarette conveying apparatus constructed, arranged and adapted to operate ioo substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

9 Filter-tip cigarette conveying apparatus constructed, arranged and adapted to operate 105 substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

Filter-tip cigarette conveying apparatus constructed, arranged and adapted to operate 110 substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

FREDERICK W HACKING, Chartered Patent Agent, 2, Evelyn Street, Deptford, London, S E 8, Agent for the Applicants.

The suction head 16 operates to pick cigarettes from the far chains of Figure 5 in the same manner as before while the cigaretes on the near chains are displaced axially as in the previous construction.

The chains are supported on sprocket wheels 2 la and 22 respectively, the wheels 21 being fixed to the drum 1 and forming the chain driving wheels.

In Figure 6 there is shown a still further embodiment in which like parts have the same references The two rows of cigarettes after they have been divided by the knife 4 are separated to a limited extent by a separator 23 and are stripped from the fluted drum 1 by lugs 24 of a conveyor member 25 which is built up in the form of discs keyed to a shaft 26 As the conveyor member 25 carries the two rows of cigarettes away from the drum.

1 control of the cigarettes is exercised by means of a spring 27 which lightly bears on top of them Between inner discs of the conveyor 25 is situated the roller 8, driven through a gear 28 and a further gear 29 internally arranged on the conveyor member 25, which lifts the cigarettes into contact with the arcuate plate 9 and rolls them as previously described The two rows are again separated by an air blast on the near row through the aperture 19 and the far row is turned by the suction head 16.

The advantage of the arrangement shown in Figure 6 lies in the simplicity of the parts and in the compa'ctness of the whole unit which can be fitted into a smaller area than can be the two other embodiments.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:1 Apparatus for conveying filter-tip cigarettes from the cutting device of filter-tip cigarette-making machine to tray-filling apparatus, comprising a blade to sever an assemblage of two cigarette lengths united by a band of tipping material to an intervening stub t W form two rows of said filter-tip cigarettes, in which the cigarettes of one row are separated axially from those of the other row by a distance at least equal to the thickness of the said blade and means for moving the cigarettes of one row axially in relation to a conveyor member by which they are conveyed so as to increase the axial distance between the cigarettes of the two rows.

2 Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the means for displacing the said cigarettes of one row axially is effected by a blast of air from a nozzle suitably disposed, which blast is directed against the ends of the said cigarettes of the one row which has first been sepaLeamington Spa: Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by the Courier Press (Leamington) Ltd -1964 Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, W C 2, from which copies may be obtained.

9155,556

PATENT SPECIFICATION

DRAWINGS ATTACHED Date of filing Complete Specification: June 7, 1961.

Application Date: June 8, 1960.

No 20094/60, Complete Specification Published: April 15, 1264.

Crown Copyright 1964.

Index at acceptance:-A 2 C( 1 C 1, 1 C 3) International Classlfication:-A 24 c COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Improvements in apparatus for Conveying Cigarettes Vie, GEORGE FREDERICK PEMBROKE and JAMES GEORGE EDWARD HILLMAN, both British Subjects, and MOLINS MACHINE COMPANY L Im ITED, a British Company, all of 2, Evelyn Street, Deptford, London, S E 8, to form two rows of said filter-tip cigarettes, in which the cigarettes of one raw are separated axially from those of the other row by a distance at least equal to the thickness of the said blade and means for moving the cigarettes 50 ERRATA SPECIFICATION No 955,596

Page 2, line 22, for "ino" read "into" Page 2, line 65, delete "effected" first occurrence THE PATENT OFFICE 15th December 1964 able that they should be spaced farther apart so that they can be conveyed to, and be directed into trays.

Where stubs are made of comparatively hard material they are seldom as round as is desirable and they can be improved by rolling, them between pressure surfaces and the conveying apparatus described herein is arranged to perform this rolling action on the stubs during the transit of the cigarettes from the cutting device to the tray filling apparatus.

According -to the invention there is provided apparatus for conveying filter-tip cigarettes from the cutting device of a filter-tip cigarette-making machine to tray-filling apparatus, comprising a blade to sever an assemblage of two cigarette lengths united by a band of tipping material to an intervening stub u,t 1 yu Icau'Iu 1 Jj LI u Ldy-lllllllg apparatus, while the other row may be conveyed from the said roller in spaced relationship to a rotary suction device arranged to receive and turn them through 1800 to reverse the cigarettes endwise before delivery to said conveyor band.

In order to effect positive control over the cigarettes while being conveyed they may be carried from the cutting device of the filtertip cigarette-making machine to the said stripper plate or to the suction head by a conveyor unit having abutments which locate the cigarettes in the desired spaced relationship.

The said roller of the rolling passage may lift successive cigarettes of one row from the abutment of the conveyor member locating each cigarette and cause them to roll through the rolling passage, at the end of which each 955,596 PATENT SPECIFICATION

DRAWINGS ATTACHED Date of filing Complete Specification: June 7, 1961.

Application Date: June 8, 1960 No 20094/60.

Complete Specification Published: April IS, 1264.

i Crown Copyright 1964.

Index at acceptance:-A 2 C( 1 C 1, 1 C 3) International Olassification:-A 24 c COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Improvements in apparatus for Conveying Cigarettes We, GEORGE FREDERICK PEMBROKE and JAMES GEORGE EDWARD HILLMAN, both British Subjects, and MOLINS MACHINE COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company, all of 2, Evelyn Street, Deptford, London, S E 8, England, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-

This invention concerns improvements in apparatus for conveying cigarettes and refers more particularly to apparatus for conveying freshly made filter-tip cigarettes to trays into which they are automatically filled.

Most filter-tip cigarettes are made nowadays by assembling two pieces of cigarette rod with an intervening double-length stub and joining the assemblage together by wrapping a piece of tipping material around the middle of the assemblage to join the pieces together, whereafter the product is cut centrally to provide two filter-tip cigarettes It will be obvious that immediately after cutting the resulting cigarettes are virtually in contact If the cigarettes are to be fed automatically into trays, in almost any known manner, it is usually desirable that they should be spaced farther apart so that they can be conveyed to, and be directed into trays.

Where stubs are made of comparatively hard material they are seldom as round as is desirable and they can be improved by rolling them between pressure surfaces and the conveying apparatus described herein is arranged to perform this rolling action on the stubs during the transit of the cigarettes from the cutting device to the tray filling apparatus.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for conveying filter-tip cigarettes from the cutting device of a filter-tip cigarette-making machine to tray-filling apparatus, comprising a blade to sever an assemblage of two cigarette lengths united by a band of tipping material to an intervening stub to form two rows of said filter-tip cigarettes, in which the cigarettes of one row are separated axially from those of the other row by a distance at least equal to the thickness of the said blade and means for moving the cigarettes of one row axially in relation to a conveyor member by which they are conveyed so as to increase the axial distance between the cigarettes of the two rows The axial displacement of the cigarettes of one row may be effected by a blast of air from a nozzle suitably disposed, which blast is directed against the ends of the said cigarettes of the one row which has first bzen separated to a limited extent from the other row by being displaced by a wedgeshaped piece arranged near the cutting device of the filter-tip cigarette-malking machine.

A rolling passage may be disposed along the path of conveyance and arranged to roll the stub parts of the said cigarettes.

The rolling passage may comprise a roller and an arcuate plate spaced apart therefrom.

Cigarettes of one row may be delivered by the roller to a succession of locating means (e.g the flutes of a drum) from which they are removed by a stripper plate and delivered to a conveyor band leading to tray-filling apparatus, while the other row may be conveyed from the said roller in spaced relationship to a rotary suction device arranged to receive and turn them through 180 to reverse the cigarettes endwise before delivery to said conveyor band.

In order to effect positive control over the cigarettes while being conveyed they may be carried from the cutting device of the filtertip cigarette-making machine to the said stripper plate or to the suction head by a conveyor unit having abutments which locate the cigarettes in the desired spaced relationship.

The said roller of the rolling passage m ay lift successive cigarettes of one row from the abutment of the conveyor member locating each cigarette and cause them to roll through the rolling passage, at the end of which each 955,596 cigarette is returned to its previous locating abutment thereby restoring the desired spaced relationship.

Two constructions according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of cigarette conveying apparatus lo Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a perspective view of a small part of Figure 2 Figure 4 is a plan of a detail shown in Figure 1 Figure 5 is a side elevation of another form of cigarette conveying apparatus and the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 6 is a side elevation of a still further form of cigarette conveying apparatus.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, 1 is a fluted drum, forming part of a filter-tip cigarette-making machine, ino the flutes of which assemblages consisting of two pieces of cigarette rod 2 and an intervening double-length stub are fed in any desired manner, the components having been secured together by a piece of wrapping material 3 in the previous part of the filter-tip machine The flutes of the drum are divided lengthwise of the drum by various reduced parts of the drum periphery, the drum in fact consisting of a series of fluted discs assembled together with spacers between A cutting disc 4 divides each assemblage at its mid-length to separate it into two filter-tip cigarettes which are spaced axially by the width of the cutter Shortly after separation the cigarettes meet a wedge-shaped separator 5, see Figures 1 and 4 which spaces them apart axially by its width.

A stripper 6 serves to remove the separated cigarettes from the drum 1 and to provide a ramp down which they can roll, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 A spring plate 7 controls the cigarettes to some extent and they bunch together at the lower end of the ramp as shown and then pass one at a time on to a roller 8 which may be smooth or lightly knurled The lower end of spring 7 is bent down slightly and controls the cigarettes on the ramp so -hat they are square to the direction of movement but the spring is quite light and will flex under the pressure of the moving cigarette and release it to the rolling mechanism An arcuate plate 9 together with the roller 8 constitutes a rolling passage the parts being so shaped and sized that only the stub part of the cigarette is rolled As shown in Figure 2 the plate 9 is slightly relieved outside lines 9 a and 9 b at the places where the cigarette-rod part of the cigarette passes so that only the stub part is subjected to rolling pressure.

Eventually the cigarettes are allowed to fall from the control of the spring plate 7 into the flutes of another drum 11 The separation effected effected by the separator 5 is just sufficient to allow the cigarettes to pass on either side of the plate 10 At the near side, Figure 1, the drum 11 conveys the cigarettes and moses them on to a stripper plate 12 down which they roll and are discharged on to a conveyor band 13 which leads them to tray-filling apparatus but prior to their delivery on to the stripper plate 12 the cigarettes of the nearer row are displaced axially to separate them from those in the far row, in a manner described below The extent of the Wovement can be followed from Figure 2 In order to control the axial movement a disc 14 is provided which rotates with the drum 11 and forms a stop face to arrest the cigarettes at the desired position.

The other row of cigarettes, the far row, in Figure 1, are carried from the rolling passage by a short chain conveyor 15 and brought near a rotatable suction head 16 This operates to seize each cigarette in turn from the chain conveyor, turn it through 180 C endwise so that the tip is reversed and deposit it on band 13 a, as shown in Figure 2 This suction head 16 is claimed and described in detail in Patent Specification No 900,387 to which reference may be made for further information.

Axial separation of the cigarettes in the two rows is effected by an air blast operating on cigarettes of the near row in Figure 1 This blast is provided by a fan or pump (not shown) which forces air through a pipe 17 which leads into a block 18 to which the plate 10 is fixed and air emerges from an aperture 19 in the plate, as best seen in Figure 3.

Referring now to Figure 5, parts which are substantially identical with those just described bear the same references and need no further description In this example the conveyance of the cigarettes is effected in a controlled or positive manner so that they cannot move by any material amount from their nominal position This control is exercised by conveyor chains 20 having abutments 21 against which the cigarettes rest As will be seen, two neighbouring abutments form a pocket and the front face of a pocket assists in removing the cut cigarettes from the drum 1 Various arrangements of this kind are feasible, the essential being a conveyor provided with locating faces for the assemblages, and cigarettes.

It will be seen from the drawing that the chains carry the cigarettes into the rolling passage and then cease to engage the cigarettes, as the roller 8 projects a considerable distance above the chain level At the far side of the roller the chains are again positioned to receive the cigarettes and as will be clear from Figure 5, each cigarette leaves a pocket in the chains as it enters the rolling passage and returns to the same pocket after rolling is finished.

In this way the cigarettes are under positive control as to their spacing on the conveyor although they are released from the conveyor for the rolling action.

955,596 rated to a limited extent from the other row by being displaced by a wedge-shaped piece 60 arranged near the cutting device of the filtertip cigarette-making machine.