Apparatus for manipulating rod-shaped articles

Claim 2

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series; and assembly conveyor means adjacent to said transfer conveyor means and having receiving means arranged to receive a group from each of said transfer conveyor means, said assembly conveyor means comprising a single assembly conveyor having a plurality of receiving means arRanged to travel seriatim into registry with said transfer conveyor means and to receive a group of the respective series from each transfer conveyor means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiving means of said assembly conveyor are equidistant from each other.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said receiving means comprise pockets.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said articles are cigarettes and wherein said supply conveyor means comprises equidistant flutes for the cigarettes of said succession, the pitch of the withdrawing means on each of said transfer conveyor means being the same and each of said groups comprising a layer of cigarettes.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the groups of cigarettes in each of said receiving means together form a block containing a predetermined number of cigarettes, and wherein the number of flutes on said supply conveyor means is a whole multiple of the number of cigarettes in a block.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said supply conveyor means further comprises holding means for holding the cigarettes in the flutes, said flutes forming several series of successive sets in each of which the number of flutes corresponds to the number of cigarettes in one of said groups, each of said transfer conveyor means defining with said supply conveyor means a separate transfer station at which the respective set of flutes delivers cigarettes to the withdrawing means of the adjoining transfer conveyor means and said holding means being effective while the cigarettes in the flutes of said sets advance toward the respective transfer stations.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said supply conveyor means comprises a single suction conveyor and wherein said holding means comprise suction channels and ducts provided in said suction conveyor, there being a separate suction channel for each set of series of flutes and said ducts connecting said suction channels with the respective flutes.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said suction conveyor is further provided with stationary evacuating means at each of said transfer stations.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said evacuating means comprise means for connecting the suction ducts for the flutes of the respective sets to a source of air.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said source of air is a source of atmospheric air.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said source of air is a source of compressed air.

Claim 13

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path spaced groups of adjacent articles without removing the articles between such spaced groups of adjacent articles and for maintaining the articles of each group in predetermined adjacent positions with reference to each other while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, each of said withdrawing means comprising means for maintaining the articles of the respective groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other.

Claim 14

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path spaced groups of adjacent articles without removing the articles between such spaced groups of adjacent articles and for maintaining the articles of each group in predetermined adjacent positions with reference to each other while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, each of said withdrawing means comprising means for maintaining the articles of the respective groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising drive means for continuously driving said supply conveyor means and each of said transfer conveyor means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said additional transfer conveyor means comprises two additional transfer conveyors and wherein the withdrawing means of each additional transfer conveyor is arranged to remove from said supply conveyor means a complete group of articles.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said additional withdrawing means are arranged to remove all of said predetermined numbers of articles from said supply conveyor means.

Claim 18

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, said additional transfer conveyor means comprising a second and a third transfer conveyor means each of which has withdrawing means arranged to withdraw complete groups from said supply conveyor means; assembly conveyor means having a plurality of receiving means arranged to travel successively into registry with said transfer conveyor means and to receive a group of articles from each such transfer conveyor means; and means for staggering the articles of one group in each receiving means with reference to the articles of each other group, each of said groups constituting a layer of articles and said one group being the median group and being flanked by the other two groups in the respective receiving means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, said additional transfer conveyor means comprising a second and a third transfer conveyor means each of which has withdrawing means arranged to withdraw complete groups from said supply conveyor means; assembly conveyor means having a plurality of receiving means arranged to travel successively into registry with said transfer conveyor means and to receive a group of articles from each such transfer conveyor means; and means for staggering the articles of one group in each receiving means with reference to the articles of each other group, each of said groups constituting a layer of articles and said one group being the median group and being flanked by the other two groups in the respective receiving means.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said staggering means comprises projections mounted on said assembly conveyor means and normally extending into each receiving means, and displacing means for expelling such projections from said receiving means during delivery of a group of articles into such receiving means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said displacing means is provided on one of said transfer conveyor means.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the withdrawing means of said one transfer conveyor means is first to deliver a group of articles into each of said receiving means.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said projections comprise pairs of projections biased into the respective receiving means by springs and wherein said displacing means comprises cams provided on said one transfer conveyor means and arranged to displace one of a pair of projections during delivery of a first article and the other of such pair of projections during delivery of the last article of a group into the respective receiving means.

Claim 24

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means including a suction conveyor for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means including a suction conveyor adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means including at least one suction conveyor adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series.

Claim 25

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means including a suction conveyor for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means including a suction conveyor adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means including at least one suction conveyor adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series.

Claim 26

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for receiving from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, said additional transfer conveyor means comprising two additional transfer conveyors and the withdrawing means of each additional transfer conveyor being arranged to remove from said supply conveyor means a complete group of articles, one of said additional transfer conveyors being disposed between said first transfer conveyor means and the other additional transfer conveyor and comprising a single withdrawing means, said first transfer conveyor means and said other additional transfer conveyor each comprising a plurality of withdrawing means, each of said additional transfer conveyors being a drum and said first transfer conveyor means also comprising a drum, the dimensions of said first transfer conveyor means being identical with those of said other additional transfer conveyor.

Claim 27

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for receiving from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, said additional transfer conveyor means comprising two additional transfer conveyors and the withdrawing means of each additional transfer conveyor being arranged to remove from said supply conveyor means a complete group of articles, one of said additional transfer conveyors being disposed between said first transfer conveyor means and the other additional transfer conveyor and comprising a single withdrawing means, said first transfer conveyor means and said other additional transfer conveyor each comprising a plurality of withdrawing means, each of said additional transfer conveyors being a drum and said first transfer conveyor means also comprising a drum, the dimensions of said first transfer conveyor means being identical with those of said other additional transfer conveyor.

Claim 28

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means including two transfer conveyors adjacent to said second portion of said path and each having additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers complete groups of two additional series, each of said withdrawing means including means for maintaining the articles of the respective groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other, one of said transfer conveyors being disposed between said first transfer conveyor means and the other transfer conveyor and comprising a single withdrawing means, said first transfer conveyor means and said other transfer conveyor each comprising a plurality of withdrawing means.

Claim 29

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means including two transfer conveyors adjacent to said second portion of said path and each having additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers complete groups of two additional series, each of said withdrawing means including means for maintaining the articles of the respective groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other, one of said transfer conveyors being disposed between said first transfer conveyor means and the other transfer conveyor and comprising a single withdrawing means, said first transfer conveyor means and said other transfer conveyor each comprising a plurality of withdrawing means.

Claim 30

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and including second and third transfer conveyor means having withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive complete groups of two additional series, each of said withdrawing means including means for maintaining the articles of the respectIve groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other; assembly conveyor means having a plurality of receiving means arranged to travel successively into registry with said transfer conveyor means and to receive a group of articles from each such transfer conveyor means; and means for staggering the articles of one group in each receiving means with reference to the articles of each other group.

Claim 31

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; and additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and including second and third transfer conveyor means having withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive complete groups of two additional series, each of said withdrawing means including means for maintaining the articles of the respectIve groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other; assembly conveyor means having a plurality of receiving means arranged to travel successively into registry with said transfer conveyor means and to receive a group of articles from each such transfer conveyor means; and means for staggering the articles of one group in each receiving means with reference to the articles of each other group.

Claim 32

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, each of said withdrawing means including means for maintaining the articles of the respective groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other; and intermittently operated assembly conveyor means arranged to receive said groups from said withdrawing means and to assemble such groups into blocks each of which contains the same number of articles.

Claim 33

Apparatus for converting a succession of articles, particularly cigarettes, into plural series of groups each of which contains a fixed number of articles, comprising supply conveyor means for advancing a succession of articles in a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other; first transfer conveyor means adjacent to a first portion of said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of a first series while permitting a predetermined number of articles to advance into a second portion of said path between successive removals of complete groups of said first series; additional transfer conveyor means adjacent to said second portion of said path and having at least one additional withdrawing means for removing from said predetermined numbers successive groups of at least one additional series, each of said withdrawing means including means for maintaining the articles of the respective groups in predetermined positions with reference to each other; and intermittently operated assembly conveyor means arranged to receive said groups from said withdrawing means and to assemble such groups into blocks each of which contains the same number of articles.

Claim 34

Apparatus for converting a succession of rod-shaped articles, particularly cigarettes, into discrete groups each of which contains a predetermined number of articles and wherein the articles are disposed in formations ready for packing or other processing, comprising supply conveyor means for continuously advancing a succession of articles along a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other during travel along said path; transfer conveyor means including a plurality of driven transfer conveyors adjacent to said path and each having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of articles and for maintaining the articles of each group in predetermined positions with reference to each other while said groups move with said transfer conveyors toward separate transfer stations; and collecting conveyor means for receiving the groups from said transfer conveyors at the respective transfer stations and for maintaining the articles of each group in said predetermined positions with reference to each other, said collecting conveyor means having a plurality of receiving means each arranged to receive a group of articles from each of said transfer conveyors at the respective transfer stations.

Claim 35

Apparatus for converting a succession of rod-shaped articles, particularly cigarettes, into discrete groups each of which contains a predetermined number of articles and wherein the articles are disposed in formations ready for packing or other processing, comprising supply conveyor means for continuously advancing a succession of articles along a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other during travel along said path; transfer conveyor means including a plurality of driven transfer conveyors adjacent to said path and each having withdrawing means for removing from said path successive groups of articles and for maintaining the articles of each group in predetermined positions with reference to each other while said groups move with said transfer conveyors toward separate transfer stations; and collecting conveyor means for receiving the groups from said transfer conveyors at the respective transfer stations and for maintaining the articles of each group in said predetermined positions with reference to each other, said collecting conveyor means having a plurality of receiving means each arranged to receive a group of articles from each of said transfer conveyors at the respective transfer stations.

Claim 36

Apparatus for converting a succession of rod-shaped articles, particularly cigarettes, into discrete groups each of which contains a predetermined number of articles and wherein the articles are disposed in formations ready for packing or other processing, comprising supply conveyor means for continuously advancing a succession of articles along a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other during travel along said path; transfer conveyor means including at least one driven transfer conveyor adjacent to said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path spaced groups of adjacent articles without simultaneously removing the articles between said spaced groups of adjacent articles and for maintaining the articles of each group in predetermined adjacent positions with reference to each other while said groups move with said transfer conveyor means toward a transfer station; and collecting conveyor means for receiving the groups from said transfer conveyor means at said transfer station and for maintaining the articles of each group in said predetermined positions with reference to each other.

Claim 37

Apparatus for converting a succession of rod-shaped articles, particularly cigarettes, into discrete groups each of which contains a predetermined number of articles and wherein the articles are disposed in formations ready for packing or other processing, comprising supply conveyor means for continuously advancing a succession of articles along a predetermined path and for maintaining the articles of said succession in predetermined positions with reference to each other during travel along said path; transfer conveyor means including at least one driven transfer conveyor adjacent to said path and having withdrawing means for removing from said path spaced groups of adjacent articles without simultaneously removing the articles between said spaced groups of adjacent articles and for maintaining the articles of each group in predetermined adjacent positions with reference to each other while said groups move with said transfer conveyor means toward a transfer station; and collecting conveyor means for receiving the groups from said transfer conveyor means at said transfer station and for maintaining the articles of each group in said predetermined positions with reference to each other.