US3901373A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conveyor for cigarettes or the like
Assignee: Körber AG
•
Filing: 1973-08-21
•
Granted: 1975-08-26
•
Expires: 1993-08-21
Abstract
Abstract A suction conveyor for transport of cigarettes, adhesive-coated uniting bands and/or other commodities which constitute or form part of smokers'' products along an arcuate path between a first and a second transfer station has a rotary hollow cylindrical envelope provided with radially inwardly extending suction ports which attract the commodities during transport from the first to the second station and communicate with an arcuate suction chamber between the internal surface of the envelope and the external surface of a stationary cylindrical core. The suction chamber extends between the two stations and its cross-sectional area is selected in such a way that one or more ports can attract a single commodity or a few commodities while the other ports are free to communicate with the atmosphere. Those ends of the suction chamber which are adjacent to the two transfer stations communicate with outer ends of radial channels which are machined into the core and whose inner ends are connected with a suction fan by way of an axial bore in the core. The peripheral surface of the cylindrical envelope is smooth or is provided with axially parallel flutes for rod-shaped commodities which are to be transported sideways.
Inventors
- 👤 Willy Rudzinat
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 00:59
CPC Classifications
A; A24; A24C; A24C5/00; A24C5/32; A24C5/322; A24C5/327; B; B65; B65G; B65G29/00; B65G47/00; B65G47/74; B65G47/84; B65G47/846
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
Apparatus for transporting commodities, particularly for transporting portions of and/or entire smokers'' products, comprising a conveyor for transporting commodities from a first to a second transfer station, said conveyor including driven endless transporting means defining for the commodities an elongated path extending from said first to said second station, said transporting means being provided with suction ports having air intake ends which are adjacent to said path while moving from said first to said second station so that a commodity which is located at said first station is attracted by at least one oncoming port and advances therewith toward said second station, each of said ports further having an air discharge end, a device defining with said transporting means a suction chamber communicating with said air discharge ends of those suction ports which are adjacent to said path, said device being provided with at least one first channel having an air intake end communicating with said chamber in the region of one of said stations and an air discharge end and at least one additional channel having an air intake end which communicates with said suction chamber in a region nearer to the other of said stations than to said one station and an air discharge end, and suction generating means connected with said air discharge ends of said channels; means for supplying commodities to said first station; and means for receiving commodities at said second station.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
237 words
Apparatus for transporting commodities, particularly for transporting portions of and/or entire smokers'' products, comprising a conveyor for transporting commodities from a first to a second transfer station, said conveyor including driven endless transporting means defining for the commodities an elongated path extending from said first to said second station, said transporting means being provided with suction ports having air intake ends which are adjacent to said path while moving from said first to said second station so that a commodity which is located at said first station is attracted by at least one oncoming port and advances therewith toward said second station, each of said ports further having an air discharge end, a device defining with said transporting means a suction chamber communicating with said air discharge ends of those suction ports which are adjacent to said path, said device being provided with at least one first channel having an air intake end communicating with said chamber in the region of one of said stations and an air discharge end and at least one additional channel having an air intake end which communicates with said suction chamber in a region nearer to the other of said stations than to said one station and an air discharge end, and suction generating means connected with said air discharge ends of said channels; means for supplying commodities to said first station; and means for receiving commodities at said second station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of said suction chamber, as considered at right angles to the direction of air flow therein toward said air intake ends of said channels, is less than the minimum cross-sectional area of said channels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transporting means is a hollow rotary cylinder having a peripheral surface which defines said path and a cylindrical internal surface adjacent to said suction chamber, said ports extending between said surfaces of said cylinder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of those ports which attract a commodity during travel along said path to the cross-sectional area of said chamber, as considered at right angles to the direction of air flow in said chamber toward the air intake ends of said channels is such that said ports continue to attract the commodity while the air intake ends of other ports which are adjacent to said path remain unobstructed by commodities.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said transporting means has a surface which is adjacent to said path and is provided with receiving meanas for commodities, each of said receiving means being in communication with the air intake end of at least one of said ports.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said transporting means is a hollow rotary cylinder and said surface is the peripheral surface of said cylinder, each of said receiving means constsituting an elongated flute which is parallel to the axis of said cylinder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transporting means is a hollow rotary cylinder having a peripheral surface adjacent to said path and an internal surface adjacent to said suction chamber, said ports extending between said surfaces and said peripheral surface having axially parallel flutes for rod-shaped commodities, each of said flutes communicating with the air intake end of at least one of said ports.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transporting means is provided with a cylindrical peripheral surface which is adjacent to said path and said air intake ends of said ports are provided in said surface so that the commodities which are supplied to said first transfer station are attracted to said cylindrical surface during transport toward said second transfer station.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transporting means comprises a hollow rotary cylinder and said device is a cylindrical core surrounded by said hollow cylinder and having a peripheral surface provided with an arcuate recess which constitutes said suction chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the depth of said recess is less than the thickness of said hollow cylinder, as considered in the radial direction of said core.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said core has an axial bore communicating with said suction generating means and with the air discharge ends of said channels.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
228 words
Apparatus for transporting commodities, particularly for transporting portions of and/or entire smokers'' products, comprising a conveyor for transporting commodities from a first to a second transfer station, said conveyor including driven endless transporting means defining for the commodities and elongated path extending from said first to said second station, said transporting means being provided with suction ports having air intake ends which are adjacent to said path while moving from said first to said second station so that a commodity which is located at said first station is attracted by at least one oncoming port and advances therewith toward said second station, each of said ports further having an air discharge end, a device defining with said transporting means a suction chamber communicating with said air discharge ends of those suction ports which are adjacent to said path, said device being provided with at least one first channel having an air intake end communicating with said chamber in the region of said first station and an air discharge end and at least one additional channel having an air intake end which communicates with said suction chamber in the region of said second station and an air discharge end, and suction generating means connected with said air discharge ends of said channels; means for supplying commodities to said first station; and means for receiving commodities at said second station.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
228 words
Apparatus for transporting commodities, particularly for transporting portions of and/or entire smokers'' products, comprising a conveyor for transporting commodities from a first to a second transfer station, said conveyor including driven endless transporting means defining for the commodities and elongated path extending from said first to said second station, said transporting means being provided with suction ports having air intake ends which are adjacent to said path while moving from said first to said second station so that a commodity which is located at said first station is attracted by at least one oncoming port and advances therewith toward said second station, each of said ports further having an air discharge end, a device defining with said transporting means a suction chamber communicating with said air discharge ends of those suction ports which are adjacent to said path, said device being provided with at least one first channel having an air intake end communicating with said chamber in the region of said first station and an air discharge end and at least one additional channel having an air intake end which communicates with said suction chamber in the region of said second station and an air discharge end, and suction generating means connected with said air discharge ends of said channels; means for supplying commodities to said first station; and means for receiving commodities at said second station.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the cross-sectional area of said suction chamber, as considered at right angles to the direction of air flow therein toward said air intake end of said second channel, is less than the minimum cross-sectional area of said second channel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
220 words
Apparatus for transporting commodites, particularly for transporting portions of and/or entire smokers'' products, comprising a conveyor for transporting rod-shaped commodities sideways from a first to a second transfer station, said conveyor including driven endless transporting means defining for the commodities an elongated path extending from said first to said second station, said transporting means being provided with suction ports having air intake ends whicch are adjacent to said path while moving from said first to said second station so that a commodity which is located at said first station is attracted by at least one oncoming port and advances therewith toward said second station, each of said ports further having an air discharge end, a device defining with said transporting means a suction chamber communicating with said air discharge ends of those suction ports which are adjacent to said path, said device being provided with at least one channel having an air intake end communicating with said chamber in the region of said first station and an air discharge end, and suction generating means connected with said air discharge end of said channel; means for supplying commodities to said first station, including means for feeding rod-shaped articles lengthwise; and means for receiving commodities at said second station, including at least one second conveyor arranged to move the rod-shaped articles sideways.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
220 words
Apparatus for transporting commodites, particularly for transporting portions of and/or entire smokers'' products, comprising a conveyor for transporting rod-shaped commodities sideways from a first to a second transfer station, said conveyor including driven endless transporting means defining for the commodities an elongated path extending from said first to said second station, said transporting means being provided with suction ports having air intake ends whicch are adjacent to said path while moving from said first to said second station so that a commodity which is located at said first station is attracted by at least one oncoming port and advances therewith toward said second station, each of said ports further having an air discharge end, a device defining with said transporting means a suction chamber communicating with said air discharge ends of those suction ports which are adjacent to said path, said device being provided with at least one channel having an air intake end communicating with said chamber in the region of said first station and an air discharge end, and suction generating means connected with said air discharge end of said channel; means for supplying commodities to said first station, including means for feeding rod-shaped articles lengthwise; and means for receiving commodities at said second station, including at least one second conveyor arranged to move the rod-shaped articles sideways.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said air intake ends of said ports communicate with flutes provided in said transporting means and arranged to receive rod-shaped commodities at said first station whereby the ports communicating with the flutes at said first station attract the commodities entering such flutes to produce a braking action and to thus reduce the speed of lengthwise movement of commodities in the respective flutes.
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) | 1978-08-25 | 1979-02-24 | 1979-08-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-25 | 1983-02-24 | 1983-08-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-25 | 1987-02-24 | 1987-08-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |