US4056915A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Compensating store device in systems for directly feeding cigarettes from cigarette manufacturing machine or machines to the hopper of the cigarette packeting machine
Assignee: GD SpA
•
Filing: 1976-01-22
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Granted: 1977-11-08
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Expires: 1996-01-22
Abstract
Abstract A compensating store device for cigarettes, between cigarette manufacturing machines and machines for packeting the cigarettes, wrapping the packets and making and wrapping packs of wrapped packets. The store device comprises a cylinder rotating about a vertical axis and having vertical, radial cigarette storage compartments, circumferentially distributed. A cigarette delivery channel at the top of this cylinder feeds cigarettes from a feeding conveyor run to the compartments, and tilts gradually so as not to loose its free and open, cigarette-feeding connection to the compartment in the rotating cylinder. Similarly, a cigarette-removing channel at the bottom of the cylinder is tiltably mounted. Between these channels, successive, horizontal rods are moved into, downwardly along, and ultimately from each compartment, with the aid of a further tilting mechanism, to provide supports for the cigarettes stored in the compartments. The channels have gates which are operable as additional cigarette support or stop means.
Inventors
- 👤 Enzo Seragnoli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:40
CPC Classifications
A; A24; A24C; A24C5/00; A24C5/35
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
362 words
Apparatus for compensating unbalances in operations of machines for producing and packeting cigarettes, comprising; a compensating store cylinder having means for continously rotating it about a vertical axis and having vertically and radially extending cigarette-storing compartments distributed about the cylinder's circumference, each compartment having a generally open top and a generally open bottom and being dimensioned to permit horizontally disposed cigarettes in a cigarette pile one cigarette thick to be disposed in the compartment and slidingly to be moved downwardly along the same; cigarette support means selectively actuatable for enabling such a pile to be disposed in each compartment and slidingly to be moved downwardly along the same; a conveyor system including a cigarette-feeding conveyor, for feeding a stream of individual cigarettes to a fixed location at the top of the cylinder from a cigarette-producing machine for discharge into the top of one of the compartments during a first type of unbalance between operations of the producing machine and of a cigarette packeting machine, and a cigarette-withdrawing conveyor for withdrawing a stream of individual cigarettes from the bottom of the compartment to a fixed location at the bottom of the cylinder and further to the packeting machine during a second type of unbalance between such operations; means for controlling the conveyor system and for actuating the cigarette support means in response to either type of unbalance; and transfer channel means for selectively delivering cigarettes from the feeding conveyor into successive ones of the compartments and for discharging cigarettes therefrom to the withdrawing conveyor, comprising two transfer channels, each tiltably mounted at one of said fixed locations, each channel having a cigarette transfer section disposed to be moved with and relative to the cylinder during the cylinder's rotation and to provide an open path for cigarettes smoothly sliding between the section and one of the compartments, for a predetermined time, and thereafter to establish similar communication between the section and a next following one of the compartments, and means for gradually tilting the channels to effect the moving of their respective transfer sections with the cylinder, and thereby to insure the smooth sliding of the cigarettes when the cigarette support means are actuated.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
362 words
Apparatus for compensating unbalances in operations of machines for producing and packeting cigarettes, comprising; a compensating store cylinder having means for continously rotating it about a vertical axis and having vertically and radially extending cigarette-storing compartments distributed about the cylinder's circumference, each compartment having a generally open top and a generally open bottom and being dimensioned to permit horizontally disposed cigarettes in a cigarette pile one cigarette thick to be disposed in the compartment and slidingly to be moved downwardly along the same; cigarette support means selectively actuatable for enabling such a pile to be disposed in each compartment and slidingly to be moved downwardly along the same; a conveyor system including a cigarette-feeding conveyor, for feeding a stream of individual cigarettes to a fixed location at the top of the cylinder from a cigarette-producing machine for discharge into the top of one of the compartments during a first type of unbalance between operations of the producing machine and of a cigarette packeting machine, and a cigarette-withdrawing conveyor for withdrawing a stream of individual cigarettes from the bottom of the compartment to a fixed location at the bottom of the cylinder and further to the packeting machine during a second type of unbalance between such operations; means for controlling the conveyor system and for actuating the cigarette support means in response to either type of unbalance; and transfer channel means for selectively delivering cigarettes from the feeding conveyor into successive ones of the compartments and for discharging cigarettes therefrom to the withdrawing conveyor, comprising two transfer channels, each tiltably mounted at one of said fixed locations, each channel having a cigarette transfer section disposed to be moved with and relative to the cylinder during the cylinder's rotation and to provide an open path for cigarettes smoothly sliding between the section and one of the compartments, for a predetermined time, and thereafter to establish similar communication between the section and a next following one of the compartments, and means for gradually tilting the channels to effect the moving of their respective transfer sections with the cylinder, and thereby to insure the smooth sliding of the cigarettes when the cigarette support means are actuated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the cigarette support means comprise spaced-apart horizontal rods, and means for moving one of the rods downwardly into, through and from each successive one of the compartments, enabling a corresponding cigarette pile to perform the sliding downward movement thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 including conveyor chain means for supporting and moving the rod while holding it in a position normal to the vertical axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the conveyor chain means have a descending run opposite the compensation store cylinder, and means for holding the descending run with an inclination relative to a vertical line and for thereby enabling the rods to move down through each compartment and at the same time to move horizontally with the rotating cylinder, to avoid interfering with the rotation and with the sliding downward movement of the cigarettes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 additionally including means for reversing the inclination of the descending run to enable the conveyor chain means to operate upon a reversal of the rotating of the cylinder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
82 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including means for reversing the rotating of the cylinder to enable the cigarette support means and the conveyor system, prior to the reversing, to feed cigarettes through the channel means at the top to the store cylinder, and after the reversing to withdraw cigarettes through the channel means at the bottom from the store cylinder, while avoiding interference of the cigarette support means with the cigarette-storing compartments and with sliding movement of the cigarettes along the same.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for gradually tilting the channels comprises cam means driven by the means for continuously rotating the cylinder, and two cam followers controlled by the cam means, each connected with one of the cigarette transfer sections.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the cam means comprises a first cam disposed adjacent one of said fixed locations; a second cam disposed adjacent the other of said fixed locations; and a shaft drivable by the means for rotating the cylinder for driving the first and second cams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the cam means has a gradually inclined cam - way for effecting, through the cam followers, the gradual tilting of the channels, and a steeply inclined cam - way communicating with the gradually inclined one for rapidly performing the establishing of communication between the channel section and a next following one of the compartments.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
265 words
A compensating storage unit for compensating operating unbalances of manufacturing and paceting machines in a plant for producing cigarette packets, which plant comprises a system for directly feeding a stream of individual cigarettes disposed transversely of the stream by conveyor means continuously unidirectionally movable from at least one cigarette manufacturing machine to a machine for packeting the manufactured cigarettes, the unit comprising; a cylindrical body having its cylinder axis vertically disposed and having radially extending cigarette-storing compartments parallel to said vertical axis, each compartment having an open top and an open bottom and being dimensioned to permit cigarettes to be horizontally disposed in a cigarette pile one cigarette thick in the compartment between the top and the bottom an upper cigarette infeeding channel and a lower cigarette withdrawing channel respectively positioned above and below said cylindrical body in the area thereof including said open tops and bottoms of said compartments, said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels being vertically aligned one relative to the other, a movable device having uniformly spaced apart rigid catilever rods to take sucessive ones of said rods, perpendicularly to the vertical axis of the cylindrical body, into and along one of the radially disposed cigarette-storing compartments which is in vertical alignment with and between said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels, and intercepting means for stopping a stream of individual cigarettes, along said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels, relative to the open top and open bottom of said one cigarette-storing compartment, in synchronism with transitions of individual successive cigarette-storing compartments between said upper and infeeding and lower withdrawing channels;
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
265 words
A compensating storage unit for compensating operating unbalances of manufacturing and paceting machines in a plant for producing cigarette packets, which plant comprises a system for directly feeding a stream of individual cigarettes disposed transversely of the stream by conveyor means continuously unidirectionally movable from at least one cigarette manufacturing machine to a machine for packeting the manufactured cigarettes, the unit comprising; a cylindrical body having its cylinder axis vertically disposed and having radially extending cigarette-storing compartments parallel to said vertical axis, each compartment having an open top and an open bottom and being dimensioned to permit cigarettes to be horizontally disposed in a cigarette pile one cigarette thick in the compartment between the top and the bottom an upper cigarette infeeding channel and a lower cigarette withdrawing channel respectively positioned above and below said cylindrical body in the area thereof including said open tops and bottoms of said compartments, said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels being vertically aligned one relative to the other, a movable device having uniformly spaced apart rigid catilever rods to take sucessive ones of said rods, perpendicularly to the vertical axis of the cylindrical body, into and along one of the radially disposed cigarette-storing compartments which is in vertical alignment with and between said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels, and intercepting means for stopping a stream of individual cigarettes, along said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels, relative to the open top and open bottom of said one cigarette-storing compartment, in synchronism with transitions of individual successive cigarette-storing compartments between said upper and infeeding and lower withdrawing channels;
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
176 words
a kinematic movement transmission connected to said cylindrical body and to said movable device to transmit a continuous bidirectional movement to said cylindrical body rotating about its vertical axis for the disposing of cigarettes in each compartment during movement in one direction and for withdrawing them therefrom during movement in the opposite direction, and to transmit a continuous unidirectional movement to said movable device and cantilever rods; clutch means in said kinematic transmission upstream of said cylindrical body and said movable device; control means for deriving the bidirectional movement from the unidirectional movement, the control means being connected to the kinematic transmission between said clutch means and said cylindrical body; and movable sections of said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels, said movable sections being combined with said intercepting means and being actuated by said kinematic movement transmission in synchronism with completion of cigarette-storing and withdrawing phases in a cigarette-storing compartment and with inception of such phases in a successive-cigarette-storing compartment, the clutch means and the control means being controlled by the manufacturing and packeting machines.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
176 words
a kinematic movement transmission connected to said cylindrical body and to said movable device to transmit a continuous bidirectional movement to said cylindrical body rotating about its vertical axis for the disposing of cigarettes in each compartment during movement in one direction and for withdrawing them therefrom during movement in the opposite direction, and to transmit a continuous unidirectional movement to said movable device and cantilever rods; clutch means in said kinematic transmission upstream of said cylindrical body and said movable device; control means for deriving the bidirectional movement from the unidirectional movement, the control means being connected to the kinematic transmission between said clutch means and said cylindrical body; and movable sections of said upper infeeding and lower withdrawing channels, said movable sections being combined with said intercepting means and being actuated by said kinematic movement transmission in synchronism with completion of cigarette-storing and withdrawing phases in a cigarette-storing compartment and with inception of such phases in a successive-cigarette-storing compartment, the clutch means and the control means being controlled by the manufacturing and packeting machines.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3499555A
Cited
US3782523A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-11-07 | 1981-05-09 | 1981-11-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-11-07 | 1985-05-09 | 1985-11-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-11-07 | 1989-05-09 | 1989-11-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |