Apparatus for temporary storage of stacked cigarettes or the like

Abstract

A first-in last-out reservoir system for storage of stacked cigarettes or filter rod sections has two coaxial helically convoluted walls which are rotatable about their common axis on grooved internal and external rolls and define a helical chamber with an opening for admission of successive increments of a stack of rod-shaped articles. The walls are elastically deformable and those portions of the walls which are adjacent to the opening are spaced apart at a distance exceeding the length of an article to permit unimpeded admission of articles into or evacuation of articles from the chamber. The articles are delivered to or removed from the opening by one reach of an endless belt conveyor which is tangential to the walls. The pitch of the walls is constant or nearly constant, and the walls are rotated by one or more shafts for the aforementioned grooved rolls. The inner rolls form a first group whose grooves receive parts of the inner marginal portions of the walls, and the outer rolls form a second group whose grooves receive parts of the outer marginal portions of the walls. The devices for retaining the articles in the chamber against movement relative to the walls may include elastic cushions which coat the surfaces of the walls, elongated strips, or elastic beads which engage the end portions of articles in the chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.