Article transfer rejection apparatus and method
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsMarc D. Belcastro, Donald H. Jones, H. Cary Longest
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for selectively removing articles, such as cigarettes, from a transfer conveyor system in which the transfer of the selected articles to a receiver conveyor from a transfer conveyor is rejected within a transfer zone. Vacuum suction retaining articles on the transfer conveyor is blocked in the transfer zone as articles pass to the receiver conveyor. Transfer of selected articles is rejected by application of an air pulse responsive to a reject signal. The selected articles are returned to the transfer conveyor, from which they are removed.
Claims34
An apparatus for selectively rejecting the transfer of discrete articles transferred from a transfer conveyor to a receiver conveyor within a transfer zone, said transfer conveyor and receiver conveyor being adjacent to each other within the transfer zone, the transfer conveyor comprising:
- a first stationary valve;
- a first rotatable conveyor that is rotatably mounted to the first stationary valve;
- a first plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the first rotatable conveyor;
- and
- a first vacuum chamber in communication with the stationary valve, said vacuum chamber being adapted to provide suction to the first plurality of article supporting members;
- a first suction blocking means for permanently and continuously blocking suction to the article supporting members and positioned within the transfer zone;
- the receiver conveyor comprising:
- a second stationary valve;
- a second rotatable conveyor that is rotatably mounted to the second stationary valve;
- a second plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the second rotatable conveyor;
- and
- a second vacuum chamber in communication with the stationary valve, said vacuum chamber being adapted to provide suction to the second plurality of article supporting members;
- an air pulse supply means for selectively injecting a pulse of air into an article supporting member within the transfer zone, said air pulse supply means being responsive to a reject signal;
- the transfer zone comprising upstream and downstream portions;
- wherein the transfer conveyor and receiver conveyor are positioned with respect to each other such that an articles held within the first article supporting members are transferred to the adjacent second article supporting member when the first article-supporting component reaches a transfer point towards the upstream portion of the transfer zone;
- and
- wherein the air pulse supply means responsive to the reject signal directs an air pulse when the second article supporting member designated by the reject signal reaches a portion of the transfer zone downstream of the transfer point such that the article in the designated second article supporting member is transferred back to a first article supporting member which first article supporting member is downstream of the transfer point.
A method for selectively rejecting the transfer of discrete articles transferred from a transfer conveyor to a receiver conveyor, said transfer conveyor comprising a first rotatable conveyor and a first plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the first rotatable conveyor and said receiver conveyor comprising a second rotatable conveyor and a second plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the second rotatable conveyor, comprising the steps of:
- rotating the first and second rotatable conveyors;
- providing articles to at least one of the first plurality of article supporting members;
- applying suction to those of the first plurality of article supporting members as they rotate on the first rotatable conveyor past a first suction permanently and continuously region of the rotation of the first rotatable conveyor;
- blocking suction to the first plurality of article supporting members at a transfer zone downstream of the first suction region;
- applying suction to the second plurality of article supporting members as they rotate on the second rotatable conveyor along a second suction region, such that at least a portion of the second suction region is adjacent to the transfer zone;
- transferring articles from the upstream-most portion of the transfer zone on the first rotatable conveyor to the second rotatable conveyor;
- and
- transferring selected articles from the second rotatable conveyor to the first rotatable conveyor by a comprising injecting a pulse of air at the selected articles in article supporting members on the second rotatable conveyor in the second suction zone.
An apparatus for selectively rejecting the transfer of discrete articles from a first conveyor to a second conveyor within a transfer zone, the first and second conveyors being adjacent to each other within the transfer zone, the first conveyor comprising:
- a first stationary valve;
- a first rotatable conveyor that is rotatably mounted to the first stationary valve;
- a first plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the first rotatable conveyor;
- a first suction means for providing suction to the first plurality of article supporting members;
- and
- a first suction blocking means for permanently and continuously blocking suction to the first plurality of article supporting members and positioned within the transfer zone;
- the second conveyor comprising:
- a second stationary valve;
- a second rotatable conveyor that is rotatably mounted to the second stationary valve;
- a second plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the second rotatable conveyor;
- a second suction means for providing suction to the second plurality of article supporting members;
- and
- an air pulse supply means for selectively injecting a pulse of air into an article supporting member within the transfer zone, the air pulse supply means being responsive to a reject signal;
- wherein transfer of selected articles is rejected by the application of the pulse of air by the air pulse supply means directed downstream of the beginning of the transfer zone.
A method for selectively rejecting the transfer of discrete articles from a transfer conveyor to a receiver conveyor, the transfer conveyor comprising a first rotatable conveyor and a first plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the first rotatable conveyor, and the receiver conveyor comprising a second rotatable conveyor and a second plurality of article supporting members spaced apart on the second rotatable conveyor, comprising the steps of:
- rotating the first and second rotatable conveyors;
- providing articles to at least one of the first plurality of article supporting members;
- applying suction to those of the first plurality of article supporting members as they rotate on the first rotatable conveyor past a first suction region of the rotation of the first rotatable conveyor;
- blocking suction to the first plurality of article supporting members at a transfer zone downstream of the first suction permanently and continuously region, allowing the articles to be transferred to the second rotating conveyor in the transfer zone;
- rejecting transfer of selected articles from the first rotatable conveyor to the second rotatable conveyor by a injecting a pulse of air that cancels the suction force applied to those of the second plurality of article supporting members that are at the transfer zone and allowing the selected article to be transferred back to the first rotatable conveyor at the downstream-most portion of the transfer zone.
In an apparatus having a first and second article-transporting conveyor, each positioned adjacent to and curved away from the other and each further having a plurality of article-supporting members that hold discrete articles in place by suction, a transfer zone for selectively rejecting transfer of an article from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, responsive to a transfer-reject signal, comprising:
- a transfer point at the upstream-most portion of the transfer zone at and after which the suction is permanently and continuously blocked to the article-supporting member on the first conveyor, allowing the article to be transferred to the adjacent article-supporting member on the second conveyor;
- a selective-rejection point located downstream of the transfer point and at which an air pulse responsive to the transfer-reject signal is directed and selectively applied to overcome the suction that holds the article in place on the second conveyor, allowing the article to transfer back to the article-supporting member on the first conveyor;
- and
- a rejection-receiving point located downstream of the selective-rejection point and at the downstream-most portion of the transfer zone, at and after which the suction returns to the article-supporting member on the first conveyor, and at which the article that is transferred back to received by the article-supporting member on the first conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.