Variable-capacity buffer store for rod-shaped articles

• US 6,422,380 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Tobacco Machinery Poland sp. z o.o.
• Original Assignee: International Tobacco Machinery Poland sp. z o.o.
• Inventors: Sikora, Leszek
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Stephen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/601,999
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 198/812, 198/778, 198/594, 198/572
• US Class Current: 198/812
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 5/35 Adaptations of conveying apparatus for transporting cigarettes from making machine to packaging machine
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/042 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/24 Helical or spiral conveying path
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5122 by displacement of the conveyor-guiding means, e.g. of the loose pulley-type B65G47/5127 takes precedence

Abstract

In the store at the inlet of the transport sector (11) is situated the first drive mechanism (21) of the conveyor (8) which is controlled by and connected to a fullness sensor (22) assembled in the input station (16) via a control unit, and at exit of the transport sector (11) is situated a second drive mechanism (23) of the conveyor (8) which is controlled by and connected to a fullness sensor (24) assembled in the output station (17) via a control unit, while the transport sector (11) is defined by two, active and passive, identical support guide mechanisms (10, 15) for the conveyor (8), consist of independent disc modules (6) rotary assembled on the axes (5, 14), moreover the return sector (9) consists of two, active and passive, identical support guide mechanisms (7, 13) of the conveyor (8), that consist also of independent disc modules (6) rotary assembled on the axes (4, 12), while the axis (5) of the active support guide mechanism (10) in the transport sector (11) is fixed to the axis (4) of the active support guide mechanism (7) in the return sector (9) by the carriage (3) moveable assembled on the horizontal guide bar (2), of a frame (1) of the store in the plane perpendicular to the axes (5, 4). Moreover the disc modules (6) are assembled at an angle to the axes (4, 5, 12, 14) of the support guide mechanism (7, 10, 13, 15), and also the planes of the disc modules (6) in every support guide mechanism (7, 10, 13, 15) are parallel each one to other and axes (4, 5, 12, 14) are situated beneficially in the one plane. Moreover the input station (16) and the output station (17) can be situated perpendicular to the conveyor (8) trajectory. The store has a tensioning device (25) for the conveyor (8) and moreover the horizontal guide bars (26) assembled to the frame (1) in the zone of action of the support guide mechanism (7, 10, 13, 15), below the conveyor (8).

Claims

1. A variable-capacity buffer store for rod-shaped articles working in the system, first in, first out, comprising an input station (16) connectable to a production machine and an output station (17) connectable to a receiving machine, and both the input station (16) and the output station (17) cooperate with a continuous endless conveyor (8), carrying rod-shaped articles from the input station (16) to the output station (17), a first part of the conveyor is situated in a transport sector (11) and a second part of the conveyor is situated in a return sector (9), and the length of the conveyor (8) in both of the sectors (9, 11) compensate for each other, characterised in that, at the inlet of the transport sector (11) is situated a first drive means (21) of the conveyor (8) which is controlled by and connected to a fullness sensor (22) assembled in the input station (16) via a control unit, and at the exit of the transport sector (11) is situated a second drive means (23) of the conveyor (8) which is controlled by and connected to a fullness sensor (24) assembled in the output station (17) via a control unit, wherein the transport sector (11) consists of two, active and passive, identical support guide means (10, 15) of the conveyor (8) that consist of independent disc modules (6) rotary assembled on axes (5, 14), and the return sector (9) consists of two, active and passive, identical support guide means (7, 13) of the conveyor (8) that consist of independent disc modules (6) rotary assembled on axes (4, 12), the axis (5) of the active support guide means (10) in the transport sector (11) is fixed to the axis (4) of the active support guide means (7) in the return sector (9) by a movable carriage (3) assembled on a horizontal guide bar (2) on a frame (1) of the store, the carriage movable in a plane perpendicular to the axes (5,4) fixed thereon.

2. A variable-capacity store as claim 1, characterised in that, the disc modules (6) are assembled at an angle to the axes (4, 5, 12, 14) of the support guide means (7, 10, 13, 15) and the plane of the disc modules (6) in every support guide means (7, 10, 13, 15) are parallel to each other.

3. A variable-capacity store as claim 2, characterised in that, the axes (4, 5, 12, 14) of all the support guide means (7, 10, 13, 15) are situated in one vertical plane.

4. A variable-capacity store as claim 2, characterised in that, the axes (5, 14) of the support guide means (10, 15) in the transport sector (11) are situated in the vertical plane, while the axes (4, 12) of the support guide means (7, 13) in the return sector (9) are situated in a parallel vertical plane.

5. A variable-capacity store as claim 3, characterised in that, at the maximum capacity of the store, the axis (5) of the active support guide means (10) in the transport sector (11) is the continuation of the axis (12) of the passive support guide means (13) in the return sector (9) and at the minimum capacity of the store the axis (14) of the passive support guide means (15) in the transport sector (11) is the continuation of the axis (4) of the active support guide means (7) in the return sector (9).

6. The variable-capacity buffer store of claim 1, further comprising:

horizontal guide bars (26) attached to the frame (1), wherein the horizontal guide bars (26) support the conveyor (8) and are arranged to facilitate the transfer of the conveyor (8) to and from the support guide means (7, 10, 13, 15).

7. A variable-capacity store as claim 1, characterised in that it consists of a tensioning device (25) for the conveyor (8).

8. A variable-capacity store as claim 1, characterised in that, the input station (16) and the output station (17) are situated perpendicular to the conveyor (8) trajectory.