Bead feeder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569969-B2
Application number	US-201313777749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 26, 2013
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A bead feeder serially delivering beads to a downstream location comprises a bead supply wheel connected to rotate about a vertical axis. The bead supply wheel includes a bead supply bowl and a plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageway connected to rotate with the bowl and dimensioned to receive a single line of beads. A plurality of openings in the bead supply bowl is spaced around a lower portion thereof with the openings in alignment with the radially and outwardly extending passageways each of which has an outer exit end. A metering plate is connected to rotate about the same vertical axis as the bead supply wheel, and metering plate has a plurality of equally spaced apart openings directly below the outer ends of the passageways for receiving the lowermost beads in the passageways. The metering plate rotates at a slightly slower or slightly faster speed than the bead supply wheel so that vertical alignment of an outer exit end of a particular passageway and an opening in the metering plate only occurs once for each revolution of the bead supply wheel. A drop off is provided for the removal of beads away from the metering plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bead feeder for serially delivering beads to a downstream location comprising:
a bead supply wheel configured to rotate about a substantially vertical axis, the bead supply wheel including,
a bead supply bowl including,
a plurality of discharge openings in the bead supply bowl, the openings spaced around a lower portion thereof, and

a plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageways configured to rotate with the bowl and dimensioned to receive a single line of beads from the bowl, the openings in the bead supply bowl in alignment with the radially and outwardly extending passageways, each of the passageways having an outer exit end;

a metering plate configured to rotate about the substantially vertical axis, the metering plate having a plurality of equally spaced apart openings configured to align directly below the outer exit ends of the passageways, the plurality of equally spaced apart openings configured to receive the lowermost beads in the passageways;
the metering plate configured to rotate at a slower or faster speed than the bead supply wheel such that vertical alignment of one opening of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings with one exit of the outer exit ends of the passageways occurs only once during each revolution of the bead supply wheel;
a bead transfer wheel below the metering plate, the bead transfer wheel configured to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, the transfer wheel having spaced apart exterior pockets on circumferential portions thereof for receiving the beads; and
a stationary dead plate having a single cylindrical aperture therethrough and a consistent thickness throughout, the cylindrical aperture being a single transfer point for beads away from the metering plate when the one opening of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings in the metering plate aligns with the cylindrical aperture in the dead plate to transfer a bead of the beads from the one opening directly to the cylindrical aperture, the dead plate being interposed between the metering plate and the bead transfer wheel at the transfer point, and the cylindrical aperture having a radius sufficient to allow beads to pass through the aperture and into one of the exterior pockets of the bead transfer wheel when the one of the exterior pockets of the bead transfer wheel aligns with the cylindrical aperture, but having dimensions not sufficient to accommodate a width of the bead transfer wheel such that the stationary dead plate remains disposed between the metering plate and the bead transfer wheel.

2. The bead feeder of claim 1 , further comprising:
a moving garniture in alignment with and directly below the transfer wheel, wherein
the garniture is configured to transport filter paper with equally spaced apart plugs on the paper; and
the downstream locations to which the beads are delivered comprise cavities between the plugs.

3. The bead feeder of claim 2 , wherein the transfer wheel is constructed and configured to deliver a single bead to each cavity.

4. The bead feeder of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stationary stripper adjacent the bead transfer wheel, the stationary stripper configured to remove beads from the bead transfer wheel at the downstream location.

5. The bead feeder of claim 1 , wherein the aperture has dimensions sufficient to allow beads to pass through the aperture in the absence of applied vacuum.

6. The bead feeder of claim 1 , wherein the transfer point for beads away from the metering plate is at a location different from a location of vertical alignment of the one opening of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings in the metering plate with the one exit of the outer exit ends of the passageways.

7. The bead feeder of claim 6 , wherein the location of vertical alignment is before the transfer point.

8. The bead feeder of claim 7 , wherein the location of vertical alignment is within a range of 10° to 30° before the transfer point.

9. The bead feeder of claim 1 , wherein a single bead is retained in the aperture of the stationary dead plate from a location of the transfer point for beads away from the metering plate to a location of vertical alignment of one pocket of the spaced apart exterior pockets in the bead transfer wheel with the aperture.

10. The bead feeder of claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed plate disposed between the metering plate and the plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageways and configured to rotate with the bead supply wheel about the substantially vertical axis, wherein
the feed plate includes a plurality of pockets, with each of the plurality of pockets aligning with a respective passageway of the plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageways,
each of the plurality of pockets configured to receive a lowermost bead from the respective passageway of the plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageways,
the metering plate includes an opening of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings configured to align with each of the plurality of pockets in the feed plate, the metering plate being configured such that each of the openings of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings aligns only once with a passageway of the plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageways in the feed plate for one revolution of the feed plate,
the aperture of the stationary dead plate is configured to receive a single bead from the one opening of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings when the one opening of the plurality of equally spaced apart openings in the metering plate aligns with the aperture in the dead plate as the metering plate rotates relative to the stationary dead plate,
the one of the exterior pockets of the bead transfer wheel is configured to receive the single bead from the aperture of the stationary dead plate when the one of the exterior pockets of the bead transfer wheel aligns with the aperture in the stationary dead plate as the bead transfer wheel rotates relative to the stationary dead plate, and
the single bead is retained in the aperture of the stationary dead plate from a location of the transfer point for beads away from the metering plate to a location of vertical alignment of one pocket of the spaced apart exterior pockets in the bead transfer wheel with the aperture.

11. A method of serially delivering beads to a downstream location comprising:
rotating a bead supply wheel about a substantially vertical axis, the rotating including rotating a bead supply bowl and a plurality of radially and outwardly extending bead passageways connected to rotate with the bowl;
delivering a single line of beads through a plurality of discharge openings in the bead supply bowl, the plurality of discharge openings spaced around a lower portion thereof, while maintaining the openings in alignment with the radially and outwardly extending bead passageways;
serially positioning the lowermost bead in each passageway into one of a plurality of openings in a rotating metering plate;
rotating the metering plate slower or faster than the rotational speed of the bead passageways, such that vertical alignment of one opening of the plurality of openings with one passageway occurs only once during each revolution of the bead supply wheel;
dropping the beads in the metering plate through a single cylindrical aperture in a stationary dead plate, the cylindrical aperture being a single transfer point for beads away from the metering plate when the metering plate aligns with the cylindrical aperture in the dead plate to transfer a bead of the beads from the one opening directly to the cylindrical aperture, the dead pla

Assignees

• Philip Morris Usa Inc

Inventors

• Garthaffner Martin T
• Williams Dwight D

Classifications

• A24D3/0216

  the additive being in the form of capsules, beads or the like · CPC title

• B65G47/848

  the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means · CPC title

• B65G47/1428 Primary

  rotating movement · CPC title