GB1082083A - Improvements in or relating to the handling of articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,082,083. Endless conveyers; packaging machines; feeding containers. AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO. Feb. 21, 1964 [Feb. 25, 1963], No. 7524/63. Headings B8A, B8C and B8S. Cigarettes 28 pass from the catcher band 1 of a cigarette-making machine under a roller 3 on to a pair of endless belts 2 (see Fig. 5) which carry them, past a photo-electric cell 10 which counts them, up to a stop 64. When a number constituting one batch has been counted (alternate batches may contain one more cigarette than the intervening batches), a signal operates an electromagnet 30 to pivot an arm 12 upwardly to raise an arm 13 into the stream of cigarettes to prevent any more passing. The batch of cigarettes is swept as a layer into a storage tray 14 by one of a number of sweep bars 6 (see Fig. 3B) each paired with a holddown bar 34, which bars 6, 34 are mounted for movement in a closed path on a synchronously driven pair of chains 7. Each of the bars 6, 34 carries thick and thin stops 63, 64 so that each succeeding batch is offset by half a cigarette diameter and each batch is thus stacked in nested relationship (see Fig. 5). The drive to the chains 7 is by a shaft 43, through bevel gears 8, 9, a shaft 45 (see Fig. 6) normally held against rotation by a cranked latch arm 55 engaging one of two pins 56 keyed to shaft 45. The shaft 45 is connected to a continuous drive through a slipping clutch (not shown). When a batch consisting of a predetermined number has been collected a signal actuates a solenoid 58 causing arm 55 to be raised to allow a half turn of shaft 45 which moves bars 6, 34 one step to feed the batch into the tray 14. Rotation of shaft 45 causes one of a pair of cams 65 to operate a microswitch 66 which causes operation of a tray indexing mechanism (Fig. 8, not shown) to lower the tray 14 to a position to receive the next batch. The trays 14 are carried on supports 19 (see Fig. 3B) mounted on paired endless chains 20 and at suitable intervals are indexed downward by a distance sufficient to replace a full tray by an empty one. A full tray 14 is ready for discharge from the bottom of the apparatus when the succeeding tray is approximately one third full. At this stage the indexing mechanism actuates a microswitch (not shown) to start a motor which rotates a shaft 90 to move a pusher plate 21 by means of a rod 88 to push the filled tray 14 up a ramp 22 where it is retained by spring fingers 94. Continued rotation of the shaft 90 retracts the pusher 21 and operates a microswitch (not shown) to switch off the motor. Empty trays 14 are fed into the top of the apparatus from a supply on a platform 18 (Figs. 10, 11). The supply of trays 14 is normally held at the base by a pair of levers 101 carrying rollers 102 and at the upper part by a stop plate 111 with a bent-down end 112. Rotation of a shaft 70 causes cams 106, 116 to lower rollers 102, raise stop plate 111 and to raise a lip 151. The supply of trays 14 thus slides down the platform 18 until held by the lip 151, the upper edge of the leading tray resting against a plate 153 (Fig. 10). Further movement of the mechanism causes stop plate 111 to be lowered lip 151 to be lowered and rollers 102 to be raised. The leading tray 14 is thus free to slide over curved plates 152, Fig. 11, in phantom, and is received on a pair of the supports 19 suitably placed to receive it. Faulty cigarettes 28 accompanied by a large gap in the stream may be detected as illustrated in Fig. 12 (not shown) by a light source 134 and photo-cell 136 arranged so that a light beam 135 obliquely set to the stream is normally cut off. If a large gap occurs the light falling on the photo-cell 136 operates an electromagnet 133 to lift a stop 131 and thus reject the faulty cigarettes 28. Variations in diameter of the cigarettes 28 may also be detected (Fig. 14) by variations in the amount of light from a source 137 falling on a photo-cell 138. The signal may be used to centralize the batch relative to the sweep bar 6 through solenoids 143 actuating a screw shaft 141. A signal generated by the position of a stop 139 may cause automatic adjustment of the cigarette-making machine (not shown) to correct the size of the cigarettes.