US3575276A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Direction changing in conveyance systems
Assignee: Tobacco Res & Dev
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Filing: 1968-04-26
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Granted: 1971-04-20
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Expires: 1988-04-26
Abstract
Abstract A device for transferring rodlike articles such as cigarettes from one moving conveyor to another, that operates satisfactorily whether or not the articles are spaced at regular intervals on the delivering conveyor. The device is an endless element moving in a path between the conveyors, the element having resiliently deformable walls defining a continuous slot in which the end of an article overhanging the edge of the delivering conveyor is gripped. The article is released on to the second conveyor with its end overhanging the edge of that conveyor too. Cams or the like are used to deform the slot walls to cause gripping and release at the correct points.
Inventors
- 👤 John P Rupert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 11:29
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/74; B65G47/84; B65G47/846; B65G47/847; A; A24; A24C; A24C5/00; A24C5/32; A24C5/322; B65B; B65B19/00; B65B19/02; B65B19/04; B65G17/00; B65G17/30; B65G17/32; B65G17/326
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
199 words
A conveyance system for uniformly rod-shaped articles moving in single file with their axes substantially parallel and transverse to the direction of conveyance, comprising two endless conveyors with their Conveying surfaces substantially horizontal and coplanar, the first conveyor conveying articles in one direction towards a fixed point of intersection and the second conveyor conveying articles away from the fixed point in a direction that diverges from the first direction, an endless resilient gripping element movable between the conveyors and having endless segmental upper and lower jaws that mouth adjacent and towards the edge of the first conveyor and that are resiliently biased to open wider than the thickness of an article with the lower jaw lower than the edge of the first conveyor, and means acting on the jaws for causing the jaws to close at a predetermined point along the edge of the first conveyor to grip articles that overhang the edge of the first conveyor and that may have entered the jaws, to remain closed as they move towards the second conveyor and to open when they reach a predetermined position along an edge of the second conveyor to free articles that may be in the jaws.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
199 words
A conveyance system for uniformly rod-shaped articles moving in single file with their axes substantially parallel and transverse to the direction of conveyance, comprising two endless conveyors with their Conveying surfaces substantially horizontal and coplanar, the first conveyor conveying articles in one direction towards a fixed point of intersection and the second conveyor conveying articles away from the fixed point in a direction that diverges from the first direction, an endless resilient gripping element movable between the conveyors and having endless segmental upper and lower jaws that mouth adjacent and towards the edge of the first conveyor and that are resiliently biased to open wider than the thickness of an article with the lower jaw lower than the edge of the first conveyor, and means acting on the jaws for causing the jaws to close at a predetermined point along the edge of the first conveyor to grip articles that overhang the edge of the first conveyor and that may have entered the jaws, to remain closed as they move towards the second conveyor and to open when they reach a predetermined position along an edge of the second conveyor to free articles that may be in the jaws.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system claimed in claim 1, in which the gripping element is a wheel that runs tangentially to edges of the conveyors and jaws that mouth on its periphery.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system claimed in claim 1, in which each jaw is composed of a series of adjacent resilient fingers closely spaced so that the jaw surface is substantially uninterrupted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system claimed in claim 2, in which each jaw is composed of a series of adjacent radial and resilient fingers closely spaced so that the jaw surface is substantially uninterrupted.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system claimed in claim 1, in which the means for acting on the jaws comprises cam faces bearing on the jaws, the cams having inclined lead-in and lead-off faces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system claimed in claim 1, in which the gripping element is a wheel that terminates short of the edges of the conveyors in a horizontal direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
249 words
A conveyance system for uniformly rod-shaped articles moving in single file with their axes substantially parallel and transverse to the direction of conveyance, comprising two endless conveyors with their conveying surfaces substantially horizontal and coplanar, the first conveyor conveying articles in one direction towards a point of intersection and the second conveyor conveying articles away from the point in a direction that diverges from the first direction, a transfer wheel that runs tangentially to an edge of the first conveyor and to an edge of the second conveyor, on the periphery of the transfer wheel segmental upper and lower jaws each composed of a series of adjacent radial and resilient fingers closely spaced so that the jaw surfaces are substantially uninterrupted, the jaws mouthing adjacent and towards the edge of the first conveyor and being biased to open wider than the thickness of an article with the lower jaw lower than the edge of the first conveyor, and a pair of cam faces bearing on the fingers and having inclined lead-in and lead-off faces, the lead-in face being so positioned that the jaws close at a predetermined position along the edge of the first conveyor to grip articles that overhang the edge of the first conveyor and that may have entered the jaws, and the lead-off faces being so positioned as to allow the jaws to open when they reach a predetermined position along an edge of the second conveyor to free articles that may be in the jaws.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
249 words
A conveyance system for uniformly rod-shaped articles moving in single file with their axes substantially parallel and transverse to the direction of conveyance, comprising two endless conveyors with their conveying surfaces substantially horizontal and coplanar, the first conveyor conveying articles in one direction towards a point of intersection and the second conveyor conveying articles away from the point in a direction that diverges from the first direction, a transfer wheel that runs tangentially to an edge of the first conveyor and to an edge of the second conveyor, on the periphery of the transfer wheel segmental upper and lower jaws each composed of a series of adjacent radial and resilient fingers closely spaced so that the jaw surfaces are substantially uninterrupted, the jaws mouthing adjacent and towards the edge of the first conveyor and being biased to open wider than the thickness of an article with the lower jaw lower than the edge of the first conveyor, and a pair of cam faces bearing on the fingers and having inclined lead-in and lead-off faces, the lead-in face being so positioned that the jaws close at a predetermined position along the edge of the first conveyor to grip articles that overhang the edge of the first conveyor and that may have entered the jaws, and the lead-off faces being so positioned as to allow the jaws to open when they reach a predetermined position along an edge of the second conveyor to free articles that may be in the jaws.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-04-19 | 1974-10-19 | 1975-04-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-04-19 | 1978-10-19 | 1979-04-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-04-19 | 1982-10-19 | 1983-04-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |