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US 6,986,632 B2Granted
Method and unit for feeding elongated elements
AssigneeG.D Societa' Per Azioni
InventorsMario Spatafora, Luca Borderi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of feeding cigars to a hopper of a wrapping machine, wherein the cigars are housed in bulk and in orderly manner inside containers; each container has a top opening by which to receive and unload the cigars in the aforementioned orderly manner; a full container of cigars is picked up and inverted at the hopper by means of a manipulating device so that the opening faces downwards; and the full container is rested on a supporting surface having a passage smaller than the opening, so as to partly close the opening and provide for controlled unloading of the cigars.
Claims21
A method of feeding elongated elements to a hopper of a wrapping machine;
- the elongated elements (2) being housed in bulk and in orderly manner inside containers (5);
- each container (5) comprising a top opening (9) by which to receive and unload said elongated elements (2);
- the method comprising the step of
- picking up a full container (5) of elongated elements (2);
- feeding the full container (5) to a first hold station (54) at said hopper (3);
- overturning the full container (5) at said first hold station (54) by means of a manipulator (13), so that said opening (9) faces downwards;
- placing the full container (5) on a supporting surface (45a, 45b) having a passage (44) smaller than said opening (9), so as to partly close said opening (9) and provide for controlled unloading of said elongated elements (2);
- moving said container (5) along said supporting surface (45a, 45b) from the first hold station (54) to a second hold station (55) during the controlled unloading of said elongated elements (2) from the full container (5) and trough said passage (44);
- and
- removing an empty container (5) from the second hold station (54).
7 more elements
A unit for feeding elongated elements to a hopper of a wrapping machine;
- the elongated elements (2) being housed in bulk and in orderly manner inside containers (5);
- each container (5) comprising a top opening (9) by which to receive and unload said elongated elements (2);
- the unit comprising
- a manipulator (13) for picking up a full container (5) of elongated elements (2) and overturning the full container (5) at said hopper (3) so that said opening (9) faces downwards, and
- an unloading device (14), which is located at said hopper (3) and comprises a supporting surface (45a, 45b) having a passage (44) smaller than said opening (9), so as to partly close said opening (9) and provide for controlled unloading of said elongated elements (2);
- wherein the unloading device (14) comprises an unloading conveyor (33) for varying the position of said passage (44) with respect to said container (5) and said opening (9);
- said unloading conveyor (33) comprising an endless belt (36) defining a first and a second branch (42;
- 43);
- and a carriage (39) having transmission pulleys (38), which separate the first branch (42) from the second branch (43), and between two of which said passage (44) is defined
- said unloading conveyor (33) comprises a first drive pulley (40) engaging said first branch (42) to move the first branch (42) together with said container (5) and said carriage (39);
- said unloading conveyor (33) comprises a second drive pulley (41) engaging the second branch (43) to move the second branch (43) and said carriage (39);
- and
- said first and second drive pulley (40, 41) can be locked selectively to arrest the first and second branch (42, 43) respectively.
10 more elements
A unit for feeding elongated elements to a hopper of a wrapping machine;
- the elongated elements (2) being housed in bulk and in orderly manner inside containers (5);
- the unit (1) comprising first conveying means (11) for feeding full containers (5) of elongated elements (2) successively to the hopper (3), a manipulator (13) for successively picking up full containers (5) off said first conveying means (11) and inverting the full containers (5) over said hopper (3), and second conveying means (12) for removing empty containers (5) from the hopper (3);
- said manipulator (13) comprising first gripping and transporting means (27) for gripping and transporting full containers (5), second gripping and transporting means (28) for gripping and transporting empty containers (5), and an articulated system (23, 24, 25, 26) for supporting and moving said first and second gripping and transporting means (27, 28);
- said articulated system (23, 24, 25, 26) being movable, in a forward and a return stroke respectively, between a first position, in which the first gripping and transporting means (27) pick up a full container (5) off said first conveying means (11), and the second gripping and transporting means (28) release an empty container (5) onto said second conveying means (12), and a second position, in which the first gripping and transporting means (27) release a full container (5), upside down, over the hopper (3), and the second gripping and transporting means (28) pick up an empty container (5) from the hopper (3);
- said manipulator (13) comprising a frame (23);
- a first arm (24) hinged to the frame (23);
- a second arm (25) hinged to the first arm (24);
- and a bar (26) integral with the second arm (25);
- said first and second gripping and transporting means (27, 28) being hinged to said bar (26).
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.