GB1274323A - An apparatus for feeding cigarette containers to hopper loading mechanisms of cigarette packaging machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,274,323. Temporarily storing containers on a conveyer. A. SERAGNOLI, E. SERAGNOLI, and M. T. CHIANTORE, [trading as G.D. SOC. IN ACCOMANDITA SEMPLICE DI ENZO SERAGNOLI E ARIOSTO SERAGNOLI]. 6 Aug., 1969 [6 Aug., 1968], No. 39359/69. Heading B8A. [Also in Division F2] Containers CP (Fig. 1) filled with cigarettes, are supplied manually or otherwise from a series of cigarette-making machines TMC, TMC<SP>1</SP>, and TMC<SP>11</SP>, to a supply conveyer TCP (Fig. 4, but invisible in Fig. 1 due to being directly beneath a conveyer TCV). The conveyer TCP feeds the containers successively to a lower transfer position (right hand of Fig. 2). A pusher 53 driven by a threaded spindle 51 normally transfers the containers successively from the transfer position to a position in which it is engaged by a vertical elevator TE (Figs. 2 and 3). This consists of a support plate 29 which is raisable and lowerable by the action of a threaded rod 32. In its upper position, the container is then up-ended, by the action of a rotatable head TG, over a hopper TAR (Fig. 2) leading to a cigarette packaging machine MI (Fig. 1). It is then moved laterally by a pair of pushers 66, 67, into a position (top right hand of Fig. 2) to be transferred to a delivery conveyer TCV for empty containers. A store conveyer TM is disposed parallel with the supply conveyer TCP. When the cigarette packaging machine is not managing to cope with the supply from the machines T.M.C., each container being fed from the supply conveyer TCP by the pusher 52 is fed to the store conveyer instead of to the elevator TE. When the machines TMC fail to satisfy the packaging machine, containers are fed out from the store conveyer to the elevator TE. All the various transfer operations are controlled by the action of limit switches and associated circuitry (Fig. 6, not shown). The conveyers TCP and TCV are driven by a motor 7 (Fig. 5)acting through a Geneva gear 14 (Fig. 4). The motor 7, acting through a shaft 48, chain 46, and shaft 43 (Figs. 2 and 3), also drives the rotatable head TG. A motor 37 (Fig. 3) drives the elevator TE. The pusher 53 is driven by a motor 61; and a motor 75 (Fig. 2) drives the pushers 66, 67. A number of the limit switches are actuated by cams 76 to 85 on a shaft 11 connected to the motor 7. The store conveyer TM is driven by a motor 21 (Fig. 2) acting through a Geneva drive (Fig. 8, not shown). This has solenoid-operated respective sets of driving pins and segments (see Division F2) according to the direction (forward or reverse) of running of the conveyer TM.