Feeding apparatus for feeding single-layer stream of tobacco industry's rod-like articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11744279-B2
Application number	US-202016946814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2020
Priority date	Aug 5, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

The object of the invention is a feeding apparatus for feeding a single-layer stream of tobacco industry's rod-like articles ( 2 ) comprising a first feeding channel ( 10 ) adapted to convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) in the form of a mass flow (MF), a second feeding channel ( 11 ) provided with a lower conveyor ( 16 ), adapted to convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) in the form of the mass flow (MF), whereas the second feeding channel ( 11 ) is flow-connected with the first feeding channel ( 10 ), a storage container ( 3 ) adapted to filling with the rod-like articles ( 2 ), flow-connected with the second feeding channel ( 11 ), an outlet conveyor ( 5, 30 ) provided with a bearing surface ( 5 A, 30 A) comprising grooves ( 23, 31 ), adapted to take the rod-like articles ( 2 ) from the storage container ( 3 ) and convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) in the form of a single-layer stream (SF) of rod-like articles ( 2 ), characterised in that the bottom of the storage container ( 3 ) is formed by the lower conveyor ( 16 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ) and the bearing surface ( 5 A, 30 A) of the outlet conveyor ( 5, 30 ), and that the second feeding channel ( 11 ) is provided with an upper drive element ( 17, 33 ) for the mass flow (MF) comprising a bearing surface ( 17 A, 33 A) which is at least partially situated convergently to the bearing surface ( 16 A) of the lower conveyor ( 16 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ) in the direction from the first feeding channel ( 10 ) to the storage container ( 3 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feeding apparatus for feeding a single-layer stream of tobacco industry's rod-like articles ( 2 ) comprising
a first feeding channel ( 10 ) adapted to convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) in the form of a mass flow (MF);
a second feeding channel ( 11 ) provided with a lower conveyor ( 16 ), adapted to convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) in the form of the mass flow (MF), whereas the second feeding channel ( 11 ) is flow-connected with the first feeding channel ( 10 );
a storage container ( 3 ) adapted to filling with the rod-like articles ( 2 ), flow-connected with the second feeding channel ( 11 );
an outlet conveyor ( 5 , 30 ) provided with a bearing surface ( 5 A, 30 A) comprising grooves ( 23 , 31 ), adapted to take the rod-like articles ( 2 ) from the storage container ( 3 ) and convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) in the form of a single-layer stream (SF) of rod-like articles ( 2 );
characterised in that
the bottom of the storage container ( 3 ) is formed by the lower conveyor ( 16 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ) and the bearing surface ( 5 A, 30 A) of the outlet conveyor ( 5 , 30 );
the second feeding channel ( 11 ) is provided with an upper drive element ( 17 , 33 ) for the mass flow (MF) comprising a bearing surface ( 17 A, 33 A) which is at least partially situated convergently to the bearing surface ( 16 A) of the lower conveyor ( 16 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ) in the direction from the first feeding channel ( 10 ) to the storage container ( 3 ).

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the inlet width (d 2 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ) at the connection ( 15 ) of the first feeding channel ( 10 ) and the second feeding channel ( 11 ) is equal to or greater than the width (d 1 ) of the first feeding channel ( 10 ).

3. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the width (d 4 ) of an inlet mouth ( 3 A) of the storage container ( 3 ) is greater than the inlet width (d 2 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ) or the outlet width (d 3 ) of the second feeding channel ( 11 ).

4. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the upper drive element is an upper conveyor ( 17 ) having two rollers ( 20 , 21 ) whose bearing surface ( 17 A) is situated at an angle (α) to the lower conveyor ( 16 ) ranging between 0° and 5° so that the outlet width (d 3 ) is smaller than or equal to the inlet width (d 2 ) of the feeding channel ( 11 ).

5. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the upper drive element is a roller ( 33 ).

6. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the outlet conveyor ( 5 ) is a drum conveyor ( 5 ).

7. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the outlet conveyor ( 30 ) is a belt or chain conveyor.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the bearing surface ( 17 A, 33 A) of the upper drive element ( 17 , 33 ) is adapted to move with a speed equal to the speed of the lower conveyor ( 16 ).

9. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the apparatus is provided with a third feeding channel ( 12 ) which is flow-connected with the first feeding channel ( 10 ) and the first feeding channel ( 10 ) and/or the third feeding channel ( 12 ) is adapted to convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) under the force of gravity.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9 , characterised in that the first feeding channel ( 10 ) and/or the third feeding channel ( 12 ) is adapted to convey the rod-like articles ( 2 ) by means of a conveyor ( 40 , 41 ).

11. The apparatus as in claim 9 , characterised in, the connection of the third feeding channel ( 12 ) and the first feeding channel ( 10 ) is provided with a roller ( 14 ) whose circumferential surface ( 14 A) constitutes a wall for the mass flow (MF).

12. The apparatus as in claim 4 , characterised in that the roller ( 20 ) on the side of the storage container ( 3 ) is adapted to change the position in the transverse direction to the second feeding channel ( 11 ).

13. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the first feeding channel ( 10 ) and/or the third feeding channel ( 12 ) is provided with a flexible element ( 34 , 35 ) situated at the wall ( 10 B, 12 C) of that channel.

14. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that at the upper drive element ( 17 , 33 ) on the side of the storage container ( 3 ) a covering element ( 37 , 38 ) is situated.

15. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised by being provided with a sensor ( 27 ) adapted to measure the level (L) of storage container ( 3 ) filling with the rod-like articles ( 2 ) situated in the upper part of the storage container ( 3 ).

16. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised in that the storage container ( 3 ) is provided with a flexible wall ( 29 ) adapted to adjust its shape to the shape of the upper layer of the rod-like articles ( 2 ) collected in the storage container ( 3 ).

17. The apparatus as in claim 1 , characterised by being provided with a controller to control the storage container ( 3 ) filling level (L), adjust the mass flow (MF) speed (v) in the second feeding channel ( 11 ) depending on the filling level (L) and on the outlet conveyor ( 5 , 30 ) speed (w), and to determine dependencies between the speeds.

Assignees

• Int Tobacco Machinery Poland Sp Zoo

Inventors

• Stanikowski Robert

Classifications

• A24C5/327 Primary

  Construction details of the cigarette transport drum · CPC title

• A24C5/325 Primary

  from a hopper · CPC title

• A24C5/328

  Controlling means · CPC title

• B65B19/105

  using rotary drums for withdrawal of successive layers from a hopper · CPC title

• B65B35/44

  by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/405 takes precedence)} · CPC title