Conveyor system for rod-like articles

A conveyor system for filter cigarettes, comprising means for conveying a first continous multi-layer stream of filter cigarettes in a direction transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes, means for conveying a second continuous multi-layer stream of filter cigarettes transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes and in a direction parallel to said first stream, the filter tip ends of the cigarettes being on opposite sides of the respective first and second streams relative to their directions of conveyance, transfer conveyor means for receiving cigarettes from said first stream in continuous multi-layer stack formation, a junction between said transfer conveyor means and said conveyor means for said second stream, a substantially vertically-extending path portion arranged between said transfer conveyor means and said junction for supplying said first stream to said junction, and means for conveying cigarettes from said first and second streams away from said junction in a direction transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes as a continuous multi-layer stream, said transfer conveyor means including endless band conveyor means defining a substantially straight path for a multiple layer stream of cigarettes, which path is inclined at a small angle to that of the parallel streams and extends diagonally between said respective conveyor means for said first and second streams and twists cigarettes of said first stream on said path through approximately 180 degrees about an axis parallel to said path before reaching said junction.

A conveyor system for filter cigarettes, comprising means for conveying a first continuous multi-layer stream of filter cigarettes in a direction transverse to the lengths of the articles, means for conveying a second continuous multi-layer stream of filter cigarettes transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes and in a direction parallel to said first stream, the filter tip ends of the cigarettes being on opposite sides of the respective first and second streams relative to their directions of conveyance, transfer conveyor means for receiving cigarettes from said first stream in a continuous multi-layer stack formation, a junction between said transfer conveyor means and said conveying means for said second stream, a substantially vertically-extending path portion arranged between said transfer conveyor means and said junction for supplying said first stream to said junction, and means for conveying cigarettes from said first and second streams from said junction in a direction transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes as a continuous multi-layer stream, said transfer conveyor means including endless band conveyor means defining a substantially-straight path for a multiple layer stream of cigarettes, which path is inclined at a small angle to that of the parallel streams and extends diagonally between said respective conveyor means for said first and second streams and twists cigarettes of said first stream on said path through approximately 180 degrees about an axis parallel to said path before reaching said junction.

A conveyor system for filter cigarettes, comprising means for conveying a first continuous multi-layer stream of filter cigarettes in a direction transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes, means for conveying a second continuous multilayer stream of cigarettes transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes and in a direction generally parallel to the first stream, the filter tip ends of the cigarettes being on opposite sides of the respective first and second streams relative to their directions on conveyance, transfer conveyor means for receiving cigarettes from at least one of said streams in continuous multi-layer stack formation, a junction at a downstream end of said transfer conveyor means, and means for conveying cigarettes from said first and said second streams away from said junction in a direction transverse to the lengths of the cigarettes as a continuous multi-layer stream with the filter tip ends of the cigarettes all on the same side of said stream, said transfer conveyor means including endless band conveyor means having spaced runs defining a substantially straight path for a multi-layer stream of cigarettes, which path twists said stream about an axis substantially parallel to its direction of conveyance, means for driving said endless band conveyor means to convey said stream along said twisted path, and means for maintaining said conveyor means under tension which urges said runs together so as to maintain driving contact on cigarettes at the sides of said stream and to maintain light pressure on articles in the interior of the stream, so that during conveyance the formation of said multi-layer stream remains substantially unchanged and axial displacement of individual articles is prevented, wherein said twisted path includes a portion in which said stream has a generally horizontal component of motion and in which cigarettes in said stream on said path are substantially vertical and held on said path substantially by said tension maintaining means.

A conveyor system for rod-like articles, comprising first conveyor means for conveying a multi-layer stream of articles in a direction transverse to their lengths, transfer conveyor means for conveying a continuous multi-layer stream of articles in stack formation from said first conveyor means, a junction zone to which articles are delivered by said transfer conveyor mass, and second conveyor means for moving articles away from the junction zone as a continuous multi-layer stream, wherein the transfer conveyor means comprises spaced conveyors defining opposite sides of a path for said multi-layer stream and arranged grasp said multi-layer stream and to twist said stream about an axis substantially parallel to its direction of conveyance, wherein said transfer conveyor means includes spaced endless bands defining a twisted path having a substantially-horizontal component of direction, means for driving said spaced endless bands to move a multi-layer stream along said twisted path and means for maintaining said spaced endless bands under tension which urges the bands together so as to maintain driving contact between the bands and articles at the sides of the stream and between said articles and articles in the inner portion of the stream, so that during conveyance the formation of the multi-layer stream remains substantially unchanged and axial displacement of individual articles is prevented.