Machine for sorting, filling and closing hollow containers
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsRolf Haarer, Theo Moser, Klaus Reum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for making fuel elements/aerosol generating cartridges useful for smoking articles, the machine providing for receiving a random supply of tubular, open-end containers, orienting the containers to position them for filling, filling the containers with a predetermined amount of aerosol generating material, and capping the open ends by inserting fuel elements therein.
Claims26
A machine for making fuel element/aerosol generating cartridges for smoking articles by providing elongated containers open at one end and at least partially closed at the other end, filling the containers with an aerosol generating material through the open end, and inserting a fuel element in the open end, the machine comprising:
- A. a rotatable indexing means including a container carrier means and a fuel element carrier means;
- B. a container supply means for providing upwardly oriented containers to the indexing means;
- C. a fuel element supply means including a first receptacle for holding a supply of fuel elements and a means for delivering fuel elements to the fuel element carrier means of the indexing means;
- D. a material supply means including a second receptacle for holding a supply of aerosol generating material to be loaded into the containers and a means for delivering the material into the open ends of the containers while the containers are supported by the container carrier means of the indexing means;
- and
- E. a means for inserting the fuel elements supported by the fuel element carrier means into the open ends or the loaded containers while the containers are supported by the container carrier means of the indexing means.
A machine for sorting, filling and closing elongated containers having an open end and a second at least partially closed end, said machine comprising:
- A. a rotatable indexing means including a container carrier means and a stopper carrier means;
- B. a container supply means for providing upwardly oriented containers to the indexing means including a first receptacle for holding a random supply of containers, a sorting means for orienting the containers to a position wherein their open ends are upwardly oriented, a means for delivering containers from the first receptacle to the sorting means, and means for delivering and transferring the upwardly oriented containers to the container carrier means of the indexing means;
- C. a stopper supply means including a second receptacle for holding a supply of stoppers and a means for delivering and transferring stoppers to the stopper carrier means of the indexing means;
- D. a material supply means including a third receptacle for holding a supply of the material to be loaded into the containers and a means for delivering said material into the open ends of the containers while said containers are supported by the container carrier means of the indexing means;
- and
- E. a means for inserting the stoppers supported by said stopper carrier means into the open ends of the loaded containers while the containers are supported by the container carrier means of the indexing means.
A machine for sorting, filling and closing elongated containers having at least one open end and a second at least partially closed end, the machine comprising:
- a first station provided with a first receptacle for holding a random supply of containers, sorting means for orienting the containers to a position wherein the open ends are disposed for filling, and means for delivering containers from the first receptacle to the sorting means;
- rotatable indexing means and container carrier means movable with the rotatable indexing means for receiving containers from the sorting means;
- a second station provided with a second receptacle for receiving a supply of stoppers;
- a stopper carrier means movable with the rotatable indexing means for receiving stoppers from the second receptacle,
- a third station having a third receptacle for receiving a quantity of free flowing material and delivery means for delivering a predetermined quantity of free flowing material from the third receptacle into the open end of the containers supported by the container carrier means;
- a fourth station having means for inserting stoppers supported by the stopper carrier means into the open ends of the containers supported by the container carrier means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.