US3583546A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for inverting cigarettes or the like
Assignee: Körber AG
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Filing: 1969-03-07
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Granted: 1971-06-08
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Expires: 1989-03-07
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for inverting filter cigarettes end for end comprises a rotor which is turnable about a vertical axis and supports a set of equidistant two-armed levers rotatable therein about vertical axes. The upper arms of the levers carry fluted coplanar horizontal holders which receive filter cigarettes from the flutes of a horizontal feeding drum and deliver inverted filter cigarettes to the flutes of a horizontal receiving drum after a freshly filled holder travels with the rotor through an angle of about 180*. A stationary cam cooperates with followers on the lower arms of the levers to turn such levers with reference to the rotor so that the flutes of the holders are substantially parallel to the flutes of the feeding drum during acceptance of filter cigarettes from the feeding drum and that the flutes of the holders are substantially parallel to the flutes of the receiving drum during transfer of inverted cigarettes.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerhard Koop
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 10:29
CPC Classifications
A; A24; A24C; A24C5/00; A24C5/32; A24C5/33; A24C5/336; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S198/00; Y10S198/951
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for inverting cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles end for end, comprising an inverting conveyor including a rotor turnable about a first axis, a plurality of equidistant carriers mounted in and turnable with reference to said rotor about second axes which are at least substantially parallel to said first axis, each of said carriers comprising articleaccommodating holder means rotatable with said rotor in a substantially horizontal plane between and beyond first and second angularly spaced stations; turning means for turning said carriers with reference to said rotor, said turning means comprising means for turning said carriers- in at least one predetermined angular position of said rotor in which the respective carriers are located in the region of said first station- at such a rate that the orientation of successive carriers with reference to said first station remains at least substantially unchanged during travel past said first station; feeding means for supplying articles to successive holder means at one of said stations; and receiving means for accepting inverted articles from successive holder means at the other station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for inverting cigarettes or like rod-shaped articles end for end, comprising an inverting conveyor including a rotor turnable about a first axis, a plurality of equidistant carriers mounted in and turnable with reference to said rotor about second axes which are at least substantially parallel to said first axis, each of said carriers comprising articleaccommodating holder means rotatable with said rotor in a substantially horizontal plane between and beyond first and second angularly spaced stations; turning means for turning said carriers with reference to said rotor, said turning means comprising means for turning said carriers- in at least one predetermined angular position of said rotor in which the respective carriers are located in the region of said first station- at such a rate that the orientation of successive carriers with reference to said first station remains at least substantially unchanged during travel past said first station; feeding means for supplying articles to successive holder means at one of said stations; and receiving means for accepting inverted articles from successive holder means at the other station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said holder means are offset with reference to the respective second axes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said carriers comprises a lever.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said levers comprises a first arm rigid with the respective holder means and a second arm receiving motion from said turning means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said turning means comprises stationary cam means and each of said second arms is provided with follower means tracking said cam means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said holder means is provided with an elongated article-accommodating first flute and wherein said feeding means comprises a second conveyor having a plurality of equidistant article-accommodating second flutes moving seriatim past said one station, each second flute at said one station being at least substantially parallel to the nearest first flute.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said holder means is provided with an elongated article-accommodating first flute and wherein said receiving means comprises a second conveyor having a plurality of equidistant article-accommodating second flutes moving seriatim past said other station, each second flute at said other station being at least substantially parallel to the nearest first flute.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said holder means is provided with an elongated article-accommodating flute having a first end nearer to and a second end more distant from said first axis, each of said carriers further comprising stop means adjacent to the second ends of the respective flutes and arranged to serve as an abutment for the outer end of an article which is admitted into such flute at said one station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said turning means further comprises means for imparting to said holder means at each of said stations a movement in longitudinal direction of the respective flute.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotor comprises an annular portion and wherein said first axis is vertical.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said holder means are located at a level above said annular portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for cleaning said holder means during movement from said other station toward said one station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said cleaning means comprises Nozzle means and a source of compressed gas connected with said nozzle means so that said nozzle means discharges compressed gas against successive holder means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
76 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising second conveyor means arranged to transport two rows of rod-shaped articles and to admit successive articles of one of said rows to said feeding means, and third conveyor means for receiving the articles of the other row from said second conveyor means, said receiving conveyor means being arranged to deliver inverted articles of said one row between the articles of the other row on said third conveyor means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said second and third conveyor means comprise fluted drums and wherein each of said receiving and feeding means comprises a further drum, one of said further drums being axially offset with reference to the other further drum.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-07 | 1974-12-07 | 1975-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-07 | 1978-12-07 | 1979-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-07 | 1982-12-07 | 1983-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |