Feeding rod-like articles
First Claim
1. A method of forming a regular single row of cigarettes moving transversely to their axes, comprising the steps of forming a stream two rows deep and with adjacent cigarettes in each row substantially in abutting relationship;
- accelerating the two rows to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced adjacent cigarettes in the other row;
sequentially removing said cigarettes from alternate of said two rows and simultaneously further accelerating the cigarettes to increase their spacing to at least one cigarette diameter so as to form a single row.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mass flow of cigarettes is reduced in width as it passes downwardly through chutes into a passage in which the cigarettes are formed as a stream two rows deep. The cigarettes are fed onto a fluted drum and accelerated to form gaps between them, the cigarettes in one row being held by suction in the flutes and those in the other row resting on top of them and being kept in place by suction. From the fluted drum the cigarettes are transferred to a further fluted drum as a single row, by being fed between a stripper and a fixed plate which are positioned so that only one cigarette, from each row alternately, can pass into a flute on the further drum. The cigarettes may then be collated into groups ready for packing.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method of forming a regular single row of cigarettes moving transversely to their axes, comprising the steps of forming a stream two rows deep and with adjacent cigarettes in each row substantially in abutting relationship;
- accelerating the two rows to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced adjacent cigarettes in the other row;
sequentially removing said cigarettes from alternate of said two rows and simultaneously further accelerating the cigarettes to increase their spacing to at least one cigarette diameter so as to form a single row. - View Dependent Claims (2)
- accelerating the two rows to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced adjacent cigarettes in the other row;
-
3. Apparatus for forming a regular single row of cigarettes moving transversely to their axes, comprising means for forming a stream two rows deep and with adjacent cigarettes in each row substantially in abutting relationship;
- first conveyor means to acelerate said two rows of cigarettes to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced cigarettes in the other row; and
second conveyor means movable at a higher speed than said first conveyor means to further accelerate said two rows of cigarettes from said first conveyor means to increase said space to at least one cigarette diameter, said second conveyor means being arranged to sequentially remove cigarettes from alternate of said two rows on said first conveyor means to form said single row. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- first conveyor means to acelerate said two rows of cigarettes to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced cigarettes in the other row; and
-
14. Apparatus for forming a regular single row of cigarettes moving transversely to their axes, comprising means to feed a mass flow of cigarettes along a path, means along said path to reduce the depth of said mass flow to form a stream of said cigarettes two rows deep and with adjacent cigarettes in each row substantially in abutting relationship, said reducing means comprising a pair of rollers spaced apart by a distance such that no more than two cigarettes at a time can pass between them and means to rotate said rollers intermittently in alternation;
- first conveyor means to accelerate said two rows of cigarettes to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced cigarettes in the other row; and
second conveyor means movable at a higher speed than said first conveyor means to further accelerate said two rows of cigarettes from said first conveyor means to increase said space to at least one cigarette diameter, said second conveyor means being adapted to remove cigarettes alternately from each of said two rows on said first conveyor means to form said single row.
- first conveyor means to accelerate said two rows of cigarettes to provide a space of less than the diameter of a cigarette between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row and so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced cigarettes in the other row; and
-
15. Apparatus for forming along a path a regular single row of cigarettes moving transversely to their axes, said cigarettes having a predetermined diameter, comprising:
-
(a) means for forming a stream of two rows of cigarettes with adjacent cigarettes in each row substantially in abutting relationship; (b) first conveyor means adapted to accelerate said two rows of cigarettes along said path to a first predetermined speed to provide a space of less than said predetermined diameter of said cigarettes between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced cigarettes in the other row; and (c) second conveyor means adapted for movement at a higher predetermined speed than said first predetermined speed of said first conveyor means to further accelerate said two rows of cigarettes from said first conveyor means along said path to increase said space between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row to at least the diameter of a cigarette; (d) said second conveyor means being arranged to sequentially remove cigarettes from alternate of said two rows of cigarettes on said first conveyor means to form said single row.
-
-
16. A method of forming a regular row of cigarettes moving along a path transversely to their axes, said cigarettes having a predetermined diameter, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) forming a stream of two rows of cigarettes with adjacent cigarettes in each row substantially in abutting relationship while conveying said cigarettes in a downwardly sloping direction along said path; (b) accelerating said two rows of cigarettes along said path to a first predetermined speed to provide a space of less than said predetermined diameter of said cigarettes between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row so that each cigarette in one row nests against two such spaced adjacent cigarettes in the other row; (c) sequentially removing said cigarettes from alternate of said two rows and simultaneously further acelerating said cigarettes to increase said space between each pair of adjacent cigarettes in each row to at least the diameter of a cigarette so as to form a single row of said cigarettes.
-
Specification