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AssigneeMolins Limited
InventorsRobert Mann Bradbury, William Albert Cupp, Michael Kent, Paul Malcom Meade, Dirk Pruessmann, William Joseph Schreier JR., Philip Neil Theurer, Clive William Watson
Estimating the term…
A tray unloader for rod-like articles of the tobacco industry includes a horizontally-movable, slidable carriage supporting an independently-driven tray inverting carrier arranged to pick up an upright full tray from a receiving position and invert it during movement to an unloading position. In the unloading position articles are received directly over opposed horizontal bands having a delivery channel between confronting ends and defining the initial level at which articles are received over most of the width of the tray. Downstream of the channel is a conveyor which operates at a relatively high rate during a first phase of unloading for each tray and at a reduced rate during a second phase, so as to allow controlled emptying of the tray and establishment of the residual level of articles in the channel after completion of unloading of each tray.
Apparatus for unloading containers for rod-like articles, comprising a carrier for receiving a full container in a receiving position in a first orientation, and means for moving the carrier to an unloading position at which the carrier is in a second orientation, the moving means including means for translating the carrier and means for rotating the carrier.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the receiving and unloading positions are substantially at the same level.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the rotating means is effective to rotate the carrier so that a container is rotated between said first and second orientations.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the translating means and rotating means are each reversible.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the carrier comprises a carriage slidable between said receiving and unloading positions and a rotatable carrier mounted on the carriage.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the position at which the translating means locates the carrier at the unloading position is determined by reference to a dimension of the container or its contents.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said translating means and rotating means are arranged such that initial movement of a container away from the receiving position includes both translational and rotational components.
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said translating and said rotating means includes means for moving the carrier to a preferred position following a stoppage.
Apparatus for unloading containers of rod-like articles, comprising means for delivering a container to an unloading position at which articles are unloaded though an open end of the container, and means for conveying unloaded articles away from the unloading position along a path, wherein the conveying means extends substantially across said open end at said unloading position except at said path.
Apparatus for unloading containers of rod-like articles, comprising means for delivering a container to an unloading position, and means for conveying unloaded articles away from the unloading position, wherein the conveying means is driven at a first relatively high speed during a first phase during which a first, major part of the contents of a container is unloaded and at a second, lower speed during a second phase during which the remainder of the contents of a container is unloaded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.