An apparatus for feeding cigarette containers to the hopper loading mechanism of a cigarette packaging-conditioning machine

Claim 3

A supply apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a fourth conveyor located between the transfer position from the first supply conveyor and the receiving and supply position of the second conveyor, and respectively the receiving and transfer position of the overturning member, and independent drive means electrically connected to the electro-sensitive means associated with said overturning member for operating said fourth conveyor.

Claim 4

A supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the overturning member comprises a rotatable head provided with at least two seating means for carrying a cigarette container at opposed positions including said receiving and transfer position for said containers and said unloading position for the cigarettes from said containers into the hopper of the conditioning machine, and wherein said electro-sensitive means for detecting the end of the unloading operation for the unloading container is for cyclically controlling the rotation of said rotatable head so as to switch the respective seating means from one to another of said opposed positions, wherein said first, second and third conveyors are of the endless transport surface type and include means for moving said conveyors intermittently, and said fourth conveyor is of the vertical elevator type and includes means for moving said fourth conveyor reciprocably between a lower receiving position and an upper transfer position, the transfer position from the first supply conveyor, the receiving and supply position of the second store conveyor and the lower receiving position of the fourth vertical elevator conveyor being respectively horizontally juxtaposed and aligned to one another and to the receiving and transfer seating means of the rotatable head at a level vertically lower than the latter, wherein said fourth conveyor has a sliding and transfer surface, whereas the upper supply position of said vertical elevator conveyor and the receiving position of the third discharging conveyor for empty containers, as well as said sliding and transfer surface associated with said vertical elevator conveyor are, respectively, for the lower and upper positions of said vertical elevator conveyor, horizontally juxtaposed and aligned to one another and at the same level as said receiving and transfer seating means of said rotatable head; said pusher means comprises a first pusher, reciprocable with an outward movement from said transfer position of the first supply conveyor to the receiving and supply position of the second conveyor with a dwell at this position and from this swell position to the lower receiving position of the fourth vertical elevator conveyor, and a back movement to the original position, and a second pusher, also receiprocable with an outward movement from the receiving position of the third discharging conveyor for empty containers to the upper transfer or supply position of the vertical elevator conveyor with a dwell at this position and from this dwell position to the receiving and transfer position of the rotatable head with a dwell also at this second position, and a back movement to the original position, limit microswitch means electrica-ly associated with the drive means for operating said first and second pushers and positioned at dwell positions of the pushers for Being abutted by said pushers so as to break the supply circuit of the respective operating drive means, stopping the movement of said pushers at said respective positions.