Unit for conveying packs of tobacco products

• US 7,644,815 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GD SPA (Is Company SRL)
• Original Assignee: GD SPA (Is Company SRL)
• Inventors: Federici, Luca, Milandri, Francesco, Negrini, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINGH, KAVEL
• Application Number:
  US11/189,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20060070354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 198/607, 198/608, 198/612, 198/614, 198/601, 198/419.1, 198/461.1, 198/471.1
• US Class Current: 198/608
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/082 grouping articles in rows

Abstract

Packets of cigarettes are conveyed from a packer to a cellophaner by a unit utilizing a first pocket conveyor connected to the infeed of the cellophaner, and a second pocket conveyor by which packets are directed onto the first conveyor at a transfer point; the unit is also equipped with a sensor that will check whether or not each pocket of the second conveyor is occupied by a packet, and a placement mechanism, interlocked to the sensor, of which the function is to fill any empty pockets of the first conveyor with packets recycled from the cellophaner.

Claims

1. A unit for conveying packs of cigarettes to a user machine, comprising:

a first conveyor with pockets for feeding a succession of packs, along a direction toward the user machine, the first conveyor having an endless conveying loop presenting a substantially horizontal top transport branch extending a long a feed direction and establishing one section of a feed path followed by the packs;

a second conveyor with pockets for feeding packs, turned out by an upstream unit, onto the first conveyor at a transfer point, the second conveyor having an endless conveying loop located above the first conveyor and comprising a transport branch including a descending segment, and a substantially horizontal segment positioned facing the top transport branch of the first conveyor at least near the transfer point;

a sensor, positioned along the second conveyor, for detecting a presence of packs in the pockets of the second conveyor;

a storage magazine containing packs of cigarettes;

a placement mechanism, interlocked to the sensor, for directing packs turned out by the storage magazine into pockets of the first conveyor corresponding to empty pockets of the second conveyor so as to obtain an unbroken succession of packs occupying the pockets of the first conveyor downstream of the transfer point;

a guide mechanism, located at the transfer point, by which packs are directed from the pockets of the second conveyor into the pockets of the first conveyor, the guide mechanism both slidably supporting the packets occupying the pockets of the second conveyor, and affording a passage to the packs occupying the pockets of the first conveyor, wherein the guide mechanism comprises at least two bridging members angled downwardly along the feed path followed by the packs on the descending segment of the second conveyor, each bridging member being located on opposite sides of the feed path and comprising respective portions converging on the feed path that are flexibly resilient, in a direction transverse to the feed direction, when engaged by the advancing packs occupying the pockets of the first conveyor, wherein each bridging member is incorporated into a respective lever element able to rock on a respective fulcrum axis independently of each of the other lever elements, wherein each lever element presents a side face placed to engage successive packs occupying the pockets of the first conveyor, and an upper flat face on which packs advanced by the second conveyor are slidably supported.

2. A conveying unit as in claim 1, wherein each of the lever elements is embodied as a rocker and comprises a first arm incorporating the side and flat faces, and a second arm with which a spring mechanism is associated to oppose the rocking motion of the lever element.

3. A conveying unit as in claim 2, of which the guide mechanism comprises a plurality of lever elements located on each of the opposite sides of the feed path followed by the packs, wherein the lever elements on each side are ordered in series, in such a way as will allow two different lever elements on the same side to engage simultaneously with a pack advancing on the first conveyor and with a pack advancing on the second conveyor, respectively.

4. A conveying unit as in claim 3, wherein the placement mechanism comprises a pair of timing rollers by which packs are accelerated to the end of positioning each one in a respective pocket of the first conveyor.

5. A conveying unit as in claim 4, wherein the placement mechanism comprises a third conveyor by which the packs are directed toward the timing rollers.

6. A conveying unit as in claim 5, wherein the pockets of the first and second conveyors are delimited by ridges ordered along the developable length of each conveyor at a predetermined distance one from the next.

11. A conveying unit as in claim 1, wherein the lever elements on each side are ordered in series, in such a way as will allow two different lever elements on the same side to engage simultaneously with a pack advancing on the first conveyor and with a pack advancing on the second conveyor respectively.

12. A conveying unit as in claim 1, wherein the placement mechanism comprises a pair of timing rollers by which packs are accelerated to the end of positioning each one in a respective pocket of the first conveyor.

7. A unit for conveying packs of cigarettes to a user machine, comprising:

a first conveyor with pockets for feeding a succession of packs toward the user machine;

a second conveyor with pockets for feeding packs, turned out by an upstream unit, onto the first conveyor at a transfer point;

a sensor, positioned along the first conveyor, for detecting a presence of packs in the pockets of the first conveyor;

a storage magazine containing packs of cigarettes;

a placement mechanism, interlocked to the sensor, for directing packs turned out by the storage magazine into pockets of the second conveyor for filling empty pockets in the first conveyor as indicated by the sensor to obtain an unbroken succession of packs occupying the pockets of the first conveyor downstream of the transfer point, wherein the placement mechanism comprises a pair of counter-rotating timing rollers by which packs are accelerated to position each in a respective pocket of the first conveyor.

8. A conveying unit as in claim 7, comprising a guide mechanism, located at the transfer point, by which packs are directed from the pockets of the second conveyor into the pockets of the first conveyor, wherein both the first conveyor and the second conveyor are driven continuously.

9. A conveying unit as in claim 7, comprising a guide mechanism, located at the transfer point, by which packs are directed from the pockets of the second conveyor into the pockets of the first conveyor, wherein both the first conveyor and the second conveyor are driven intermittently.

10. A conveying unit as in claim 7, comprising a guide mechanism, located at the transfer point, by which packs are directed from the pockets of the second conveyor into the pockets of the first conveyor.

13. A unit for conveying packs of cigarettes to a user machine, comprising:

a first conveyor with pockets for feeding a succession of packs toward the user machine;

a second conveyor with pockets for feeding packs onto the first conveyor at a transfer point;

a sensor, positioned along the second conveyor, for detecting a presence of packs in the pockets of the second conveyor;

a storage magazine containing packs of cigarettes;

a placement mechanism, interlocked to the sensor, for directing packs turned out by the storage magazine into pockets of the first conveyor corresponding to empty pockets of the second conveyor to obtain an unbroken succession of packs occupying the pockets of the first conveyor downstream of the transfer point;

a third conveyor and a fourth conveyor, placed between the storage magazine and the transfer point and having respective active branches mutually opposed for delimiting a channel through which packs are advanced from the storage magazine to the transfer point.