US 9,540,126 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for forming of collations of rod shaped articles

AssigneePhilip Morris Products S.A.

InventorArvydas Virsila

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Abstract

An apparatus for forming a predetermined collation of rod shaped articles, in particular smoking articles, includes a feeder arrangement, and a pocket. The pocket is adapted to house a predetermined number of rod shaped articles in the predetermined collation in a predetermined position within the pocket. The apparatus further includes a hopper with a plurality of hopper vanes, wherein each hopper vane is at least associated to one predetermined position in the pocket. The feeder arrangement includes a first feeder being adapted to provide a first subgroup of rod shaped articles of a first type to a first subset of hopper vanes, a second feeder being adapted to provide a second subgroup of rod shaped articles of a second type to a second subset of hopper vanes, and a third feeder being adapted to provide a third subgroup of rod shaped articles of a third type to a third subset of hopper vanes.

Claims19

Dependent claims

Apparatus for forming a predetermined collation of rod shaped articles, in particular smoking articles, comprising

a feeder arrangement,
a pocket, the pocket being adapted to house a predetermined number of rod shaped articles in the predetermined collation, wherein in the predetermined collation each rod shaped article has a predetermined position within the pocket,
a hopper with a plurality of hopper vanes, wherein each hopper vane is at least associated to one predetermined position in the pocket,
wherein the feeder arrangement comprises:
a first feeder being adapted to provide a first subgroup of rod shaped articles of a first type to a first subset of hopper vanes, the first subgroup of the rod shaped articles being a first part of the predetermined collation,
a second feeder being adapted to provide a second subgroup of rod shaped articles of a second type to a second subset of hopper vanes, the second subgroup of the rod shaped articles being a second part of the predetermined collation,
a third feeder being adapted to provide a third subgroup of rod shaped articles of a third type to a third subset of hopper vanes, the third subgroup of the rod shaped articles being a third part of the predetermined collation,
wherein the second feeder is arranged in between the first feeder and the third feeder, and
wherein at least the first type of rod shaped articles is different from the second type of rod shaped articles and wherein at least the second type of rod shaped articles is different from the third type of rod shaped articles.

6 more elements

Method for forming a collation of rod shaped articles, in particular smoking articles, in a pocket, wherein in the predetermined collation each rod shaped article has a predetermined position in the pocket, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of hopper vanes, wherein each hopper vane is at least associated to one predetermined position in the pocket,
providing a first subgroup of rod shaped articles of a first type to a first subset of hopper vanes,
providing a second subgroup of rod shaped articles of a second type to a second subset of hopper vanes,
providing a third subgroup of rod shaped articles of a third type to a third subset of hopper vanes, wherein the second subset of hopper vanes is arranged in between the first subset of hopper vanes and the third subset of hopper vanes, and
transferring the rod shaped articles from the first subset of hopper vanes, the second subset of hopper vanes and the third subset of hopper vanes into the pocket, such that each position in the predetermined collation is occupied by a rod shaped article of a predetermined type, wherein at least the first type of rod shaped articles is different from the second type of rod shaped articles and wherein at least the second type of rod shaped articles is different from the third type of rod shaped articles.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/416,100Filed 2 Jul 2013
Priority: EP 1200551027 Jul 2012
Published: US 2015/0197356 A116 Jul 2015
Granted: 10 Jan 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A24F 15/00
Receptacles or boxes specially adapted for cigars, cigarettes, simulated smoking devices or
B65B 19/04
Packaging cigarettes: arranging, feeding, or orientating the cigarettes
B65B 19/10
Arranging, feeding, or orientating the cigarettes: arranging cigarettes in layers each comprising a predetermined number
B65B 19/12
Packaging cigarettes: inserting the cigarettes, or wrapped groups thereof, into preformed containers