Receiving/delivering apparatus for rod-shaped objects transported by an air flow

A receiving/delivering apparatus for rodshaped objects transported lengthwise in an air current, comprising:

• (a) an elongated transport trough having a horizontal axis, the transport trough being provided with a guide groove which is open at an upper section and at first and second ends of the transport trough, the guide groove receiving the rod-shaped objects from the first end and guiding the rod-shaped objects lengthwise;
• (b) braking/transportation means, located above the guide groove, for providing the rod-shaped objects with a braking force when they are about to be guided through the guide groove and for transporting the rod-shaped objects at a first constant speed from the first end to the second end, the braking/transportation means including:
• (i) a driving pulley located above the guide groove;
• (ii) a first driven pulley located above the guide groove but lower than the driving pulley, the first driven pulley being situated upstream of the driving pulley with respect to a transportation direction in which the rod-shaped objects are transported;
• (iii) a second driven pulley located between the first driven pulley and the driving pulley;
• (iv) an endless rubber belt stretched between the driving pulley and the first driven pulley while being wound around the second driven pulley, the endless rubber belt being situated right above the guide groove and having a braking belt portion extending parallel to the guide groove between the first and second driven pulleys;
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• (v) driving means for rotating the driving pulley, to thereby move the braking belt portion in the transportation direction, whereby the rod-shaped objects which are received in the guide groove and are about to move along the guide groove are provided with the braking force by being brought into contact with the braking belt portion and are then transported from the first end to the second end at the first constant speed determined by a traveling speed of the braking belt portion;
• (c) accelerating means, located in the vicinity of the second end of the transport trough, for accelerating movement of the rod-shaped objects when they are being delivered from the second end of the guide groove, the accelerating means including:
• (i) a pair of accelerating rollers vertically sandwiching an axis of the guide groove and respectively including axes perpendicular to the axis of the guide groove, the accelerating rollers being rotated in opposite directions at a peripheral speed higher than the traveling speed of the braking belt portion of the rubber belt;
• and
• (ii) an accelerating path, located between the accelerating rollers to be coaxial with the axis of the guide groove, for allowing passage of the rod-shaped objects, the accelerating path being spaced from the second driven roller by a distance slightly greater than the length of the rod-shaped objects, whereby movement of the rod-shaped objects entering the acceleration path being accelerated by rotation of the accelerating rollers such that the rod-shaped objects are delivered from the accelerating path at a second speed higher than the first speed;
• and
• (d) lift-preventing means, located between the second driven roller and the accelerating rollers, for preventing leading ends of the rod-shpaed objects, as viewed in the transportation direction, from lifting, thereby enabling the rod-shaped objects to be transported from the second driven pulley to the accelerating rollers along the guide groove by the traveling of the braking belt portion, the lift-preventing means including a rubber belt portion located right above the guide groove and extending from the second driven pulley to the driving pulley, the rubber belt portion being slanted upward at a predetermined angle.