US 4,061,234 AGranted

Apparatus for assembling multi-layer groups of cigarettes or the like

AssigneeHauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG

InventorsJurgen Bantien, Dietrich Bardenhagen, Johannes Mielke, Friedel Kruse

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Abstract

Apparatus for assembling blocks of parallel cigarettes in formations ready for packing has a magazine for a supply of parallel cigarettes and three groups of downwardly extending ducts whose upper ends communicate with the magazine to admit parallel cigarettes and whose lower end portions are located at a block building station. The end portions of the two outer groups of ducts are located in horizontal planes, one above the other, and the end portion of each duct of one outer group registers with the end portion of a duct of the other outer group. The end portions of the median group of ducts are vertical or nearly vertical and are located between the end portions of the two outer groups of ducts. The rows of parallel cigarettes which accumulate in the end portions of the ducts are expelled simultaneously by a pusher whereby the expelled cigarettes pass through a mouthpiece which completes their conversion into a block. The cigarettes descend in the ducts by gravity and owing to the weight of cigarettes in the magazine. Since the block building station receives cigarettes from more than two discrete groups of ducts, the accumulation of rows which can be converted into a block takes up a short interval of time.

Claims12

Dependent claims

Apparatus for assembling multi-layer blocks consisting of predetermined numbers of cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles, particularly for arraying rod-shaped articles in the form of blocks which are ready for packing, comprising a magazine for a supply of parallel rod-shaped articles;

first and second article feeding means respectively including a first and a second group of ducts having inlets communicating with said magazine and end portions remote from and located at a level below said inlets so that each of said ducts slopes downwardly, at least in part, intermediate said inlet and said end portion thereof to allow the articles of said supply to descend therein by moving sideways and to form in the respective end portion a row of adjacent parallel articles, said end portions of said first group of ducts being spaced apart from said end portions of said second group of ducts;
and third article feeding means including at least one additional duct having an inlet communicating with said magazine and an end portion located at a level below said last mentioned inlet, the end portion of said additional duct being disposed between and being inclined with respect to the end portions of said first and second groups of ducts and the articles which enter the inlet of said additional duct and descend therein by moving sideways forming in said end portion of said additional duct an additional row of parallel articles;
and means for expelling the rows of articles from said end portions at such intervals that said end portions are refilled with rows of articles between successive expulsions, said expelled rows forming a block or rod-shaped articles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.