Feeding Rod-shaped Articles Into Bins

Abstract

The invention deals with means to prime a bin with rod-shaped articles such as filter rods and cigarettes. The articles are fed at one end of the bin between an arm and an overlying curtain which maintains the orientation of the articles. The articles between these two elements press on a switch which causes the arm to swing through the bin in a step-by-step operation. Eventually when the volume of articles is such that they can form a heap on their own, the arm becomes inoperative and an endless conveyor in the base of the bin is caused to move in response to the switch.

Description

This invention relates to the feeding of rod-shaped articles into bins.

In cigarette manufacture where articles such as cigarettes or filer rods are stored in bins, the storage bin has to be primed with an initial supply of articles before the bin can operate successfully. For example in the bins disclosed in South African patent specification No. 66/615 hand priming has to be resorted to at the beginning of each cycle of operations or at least an operator has to be present and has to manipulate the incoming rods in the initial stages.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus which will allow a bin to be primed with the minimum of human attention.

The invention provides the combination of a bin composed of parallel sidewalls and a base; a support arm capable of sweeping the bin from a receiving position in which the arm is substantially parallel to the base through the cavity of the bin to a neutral position in which the arm leaves the bin cavity substantially unobstructed; a constraining element which overlies the support arm in its first position; means to feed rod-shaped articles into the space below the constraining means and above the support arm when the latter is in the first position; means responsive to the pressure of articles accumulated between the curtain and the support arm to cause the arm to move from the receiving position towards the neutral position; and means to contain a body of articles accumulated in the expanding space between the arm and the constraining element along a third side at least until that body reaches its natural angle of repose on the base of the bin.

The invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through an end of a bin at the start of a priming operation,

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the bin in full operation,

FIG. 3 is an end view of the bin of FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through an end of another embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 5 is view illustrating a curtain suitable for use with both embodiments.

The bin shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has parallel sidewalls 6, an arcuate end wall 7 and a belt conveyor 8 forming the base of the bin and driven by a drive means not shown.

An arm 9 in the form of a flat plate is secured to a shaft 10 which may be driven in a clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2. At the end of the arm 9 there is a flap 11 which in the starting position is folded as shown in FIG. 1 and ends up in the position shown in FIG. 2. In other words the flap 11 is hinged to the arm 9 by a hinge which allows it to flap in one direction only.

At the top of the bin there is a conveyor 12 which feeds rod-shaped articles such as filter rods or cigarettes on to the flap 9 in FIG. 1. Above the arm 9 there is a curtain 13 which extends across the arm 9. In other words the conveyor 12 feeds articles into the space between the curtain 13 and the arm 9 with the curtain helping to maintain the orientation of the arriving rods.

Above the curtain 13 there is a pressure-sensitive switch 14 which actuates the drive of the shaft 10 in the clockwise direction.

On the shaft 9 there is a cam 15 which actuates a switch 16 that in turn causes the drive of the conveyor 8 to operate.

Above the conveyor 8 there is a photoelectric detector 18 which in the absence of rods between its light source and cell causes the shaft 10 to turn in the counterclockwise direction.

When the bin is empty, the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 1. As rods are fed into the space between the curtain 13 and the arm 9, the curtain lifts until the switch 14 is actuated. As a result the shaft 10 with the arm 9 commences to move clockwise until pressure on the switch 14 ceases. However, as the feed continues, the arm 9 moves almost continuously.

As the arm 9 passes the vertical, the flap 11 straightens out and together with a curtain 17 attached at the hinge line of the flap 11 helps to contain the rods in a direction opposed to the end wall 7.

When the arm 9 is above the angle of repose of the rods, (the chain line position in FIG. 1) the switch 16 is actuated and the belt 8 starts to move. When the arm 9 reaches the position shown in FIG. 2, the switch 16 is no longer actuated and the switch 14 takes over control of the movement of the belt 8 and the arm 9 is braked in the position in FIG. 2.

If at any stage hereafter the detector 18 detects the absence of rods, the arm 9 is caused to move counterclockwise and back to the FIG. 1 position.

In effect to prime the bin all that is required is to switch on the controls and to cause the conveyor 12 to feed in rods. Thereafter priming of the bin and the subsequent operations can take place without human intervention.

There is a curtain 19 which initially is draped over the arm 9 and assists in maintaining the orientation of the rods as the arm moves towards its FIG. 2 position.

The curtains 19, 17 and 13 can be made of fairly heavy flexible material or they can consist of the form described below with reference to FIG. 5.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4 there is no end wall but there are sidewalls 6 and a conveyor 8 as before. In this case an arm 20 is mounted on a shaft to pivot between a first position shown in chain line and a second position shown in full and in which second position the arm 20 forms and end wall to the bin.

A series of curtains 22 to 30 cooperate with the arm 20 to contain the rods that are fed in this case through a slot 31 opening above the first position of the arm 20. The rods are propelled along the slot by means of a rotor 32.

Above the first position of the arm 20 there is a pressure-sensitive switch 33. In the second position the arm 20 actuates a switch 36. Furthermore there is a photosensitive detector 38.

At least the curtain 23 is constructed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5. The curtain there illustrated is narrower in width than the bin and the length of the rod-shaped articles. It has two flexible tapes 40 spanned by rods 41. In the case of the curtain 23 the upper rods 41 are left out to allow the sensor arm of the switch 33 to be pressed upon by rods behind the curtain 22. In the case of other curtains the rods 41 may form a complete ladder or they may be left out towards the top where they serve no useful purpose.

In use the arm 20 starts off in the chain line position. The curtains 22 and 23 are draped to provide a resistance to rods emerging from the slot 31. As more and more rods accumulate between the arm 20 and the curtain 22, the switch 33 is actuated to cause the arm 20 to move counterclockwise. The movement continues while rods are fed in until the arm reaches the full line position and actuates the switch 36. This puts the drive means of the shaft 21 out of action and the switch 34 now takes over control of the drive of the conveyor 8.

As in the previous embodiment the detector 38 monitors the absence of rods and causes the arm 20 to move back, this time in a clockwise direction.

Claims

I claim:

1. The combination of a bin composed of parallel sidewalls and a base; a support arm arranged to sweep the bin from a receiving position in which the arm is substantially parallel to and above the base through the cavity of the bin to a neutral position in which the arm leaves the bin cavity substantially unobstructed; a constraining element which overlies the support arm in its receiving position; means to feed rod-shaped articles into the space below the constraining element and above the support arm when the latter is in the receiving position; means responsive to the pressure of articles accumulated between the constraining element and the support arm to cause the arm to move from the receiving position towards the neutral position; and means to contain a body of articles accumulated in the expanding space between the arm and the constraining element along a any exposed face at least until that body reaches its natural angle of repose on the base of the bin.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the constraining element is a curtain.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the containing means is an end wall to the bin, the arm sweeping the bin in contact with the end wall.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3 in which the arm is extensible.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4 including means to cause the arm to move to a position overlying the bin cavity after the arm forms an angle with the base which exceeds the angle of repose of the accumulated articles.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the arm in its neutral position forms an end wall to the bin, the containing means being a series of curtains hanging in and above the orbit of the arm.

7. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the base of the bin is formed by an endless conveyor band, and including means to drive the band, the drive means only becoming operative after the arm has moved into its neutral position.

8. The combination claimed in claim 1 including means to detect the absence of articles at a predetermined position on the base, the detecting means being arranged to actuate reversal of the arm towards its receiving position.