Apparatus and method for filling trays with rod-shaped smokers' articles
AssigneeG.D S.p.A.
InventorsMarco Esposti, Massimo Sartoni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for filling trays with rod-shaped smokers articles comprises a station for filling the trays, a conveying apparatus for directing the smokers' articles in bulk to the filling station, a first conveyor assembly for directing the empty trays in succession to the filling station, and a second conveyor assembly for removing the full trays in succession from the filling station; the conveying apparatus has an outlet in communication with the filling station, and the apparatus comprises a delivery device for delivering the smokers' articles, in communication with the outlet and insertable into each tray to be filled, and a movement device for reciprocally moving the delivery device and each tray while the tray is being filled.
Claims22
An apparatus for filling trays with rod-shaped smokers' articles, comprising:
- a station for filling the trays,
- a conveyor for directing the smokers' articles in bulk to the filling station along a horizontal path,
- a first conveyor assembly for directing empty trays in succession to the filling station, and
- a second conveyor assembly for removing full trays in succession from the filling station;
- the conveyor having an outlet for releasing smokers' articles from the bulk to a tray located beneath the outlet,
- a vertical duct connected to the outlet and insertable into each tray to be filled for delivering the smokers' articles coming from the outlet,
- a translating carriage associated with at least one chosen from the vertical duct and the tray for reciprocally moving at least one of the vertical duct and the tray one-relative to the other of the vertical duct and the tray while the tray is being filled;
- an actuator associated with the translating carriage for performing at least one movement chosen from moving the outlet and vertical duct relative to the tray and moving the tray relative to the outlet and vertical duct, while the tray is being filled, by successive movements in both directions in a horizontal direction parallel to the horizontal path along which the smokers' articles are fed in bulk.
A method for filling trays with rod-shaped smokers' articles, comprising:
- feeding the smokers' articles in bulk towards a filling station along a horizontal path via a conveyor,
- directing empty trays in succession towards the filling station via a first conveyor assembly,
- removing full trays in succession from the filling station via a second conveyor assembly;
- filling the tray positioned in the filling station by allowing the smokers' articles to drop through an outlet associated with the conveyor, wherein the outlet is located above a tray when the tray is being filled;
- using a vertical duct, in communication with the outlet and insertable into each tray to be filled in order to place the smokers' articles from the outlet into the tray,
- performing at least one movement chosen from reciprocally moving the outlet and vertical duct relative to the tray and reciprocally moving the tray relative to the outlet and vertical duct, while the tray is being filled, by successive movements in both directions in a horizontal direction parallel to the horizontal path along which the smokers' articles are fed in bulk.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.