Apparatus for filling chargers with cigarettes or the like

Apparatus for filling trays or similar containers with cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products, comprising a magazine arranged to store a supply of parallel articles and having an article-discharging opening;

• a plurality of partitions disposed in and dividing said opening into a plurality of passages for sidewise movement of articles in a direction from the interior of said magazine into a container which is outwardly adjacent to said opening;
• closing members, one for each of said passages and each movable from an inoperative position behind one of said partitions, as considered in said direction, to an intercepting position to thereby prevent the evacuation of articles by way of the respective passage;
• a stationary support;
• and means for moving said closing members between said inoperative and intercepting positions to thereby respectively permit and interrupt the evacuation of articles from said magazine, said moving means comprising a common carrier for said closing members, a rotary member mounted on said support, an eccentric pin coupling said rotary member to said carrier, and means for moving said rotary member relative to said support whereby said pin determines the path of movement of said carrier relative to said support.

Apparatus for filling trays or similar containers with cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products, comprising a magazine arranged to store a supply of parallel articles and having an article-discharging opening;

• a plurality of partitions disposed in and dividing said opening into a plurality of passages of sidewise movement of articles in a direction from the interior of said magazine into a container which is outwardly adjacent to said opening;
• closing members, one for each of said passages and each movable from an inoperative position behind one of said partitions, as considered in said direction, to an intercepting position to thereby prevent the evacuation of articles by way of the respective passage, said partitions including elongated rods and said closing members constituting elongated rods parallel with the rods of said partitions;
• a first support for said rods;
• a second support for said first support;
• connector means adjustably securing said first support to said second support so as to allow for changes in inclination of said rods with respect to the articles in said magazine;
• and means for moving said closing members between said inoperative and intercepting positions to thereby respectively permit and interrupt the evacuation of articles from said magazine.

Apparatus for filling trays or similar containers with cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products, comprising a magazine arranged to store a supply of parallel articles and having an article-discharging opening;

• a plurality of partitions disposed in and dividing said opening into a plurality of passages for sidewise movement of articles in a direction from the interior of said magazine into a container which is outwardly adjacent to said opening;
• closing members, one for each of said passages and each movable from an inoperative position behind one of said partitions, as considered in said direction, to an intercepting position to thereby prevent the evacuation of articles by way of the respective passage;
• means for moving said closing members between said inoperative and intercepting positions to thereby respectively permit and interrupt the evacuation of articles from said magazine;
• means for rotating said closing members clockwise and counterclockwise;
• and means for selecting the direction of rotation of said closing members during movement from said inoperative to said intercepting positions.