Method and equipment for batch handling and transfer of tobacco products

Abstract

In a manufacturing system utilizing a cigarette maker linked to a packer, cigarettes temporarily surplus to requirements are stored in containers, each provided with an opening by way of which it can be filled and emptied. An empty container is picked up from a first magazine stocked with a supply of the empty containers, filled with cigarettes at a loading hopper, and placed in a second magazine lying alongside the first magazine and holding full containers; the transfer movement from the hopper to the second magazine is brought about along a circular path centered on a vertical axis between the magazines, utilizing a rotary mechanism equipped with plates on which the single containers are taken up, filled and carried through the circular trajectory.

1 . A method for batch handling and transfer of tobacco products storable en masse and in ordered arrangement internally of containers, each container presenting an opening by way of which it can be filled or emptied, including: 
 a step of picking up an empty container from a first magazine in which empty containers are stored;    a step of filling the container with tobacco products from a loading hopper and placing the full container in a second magazine, where full containers are stored, lying alongside the first magazine;    at least one step, effected by a rotary assembly, of rotating a container about a vertical axis so as to carry the selfsame container toward the second magazine.    
   
   
       2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the step of filling the container involves feeding the empty container along the first magazine, positioning the container around the loading hopper when full of tobacco products, with a bottom wall of the container offered to a bottom opening of the hopper covered by a shutter, uncovering the opening of the hopper, and lowering the container so as to allow the passage of the tobacco products from the hopper into the container.  
   
   
       3 . A method as in  claim 2 , wherein the step of lowering the container is followed by steps in which the container is rotated about the vertical axis to a position below one end of the second magazine, elevated to a position of alignment with the end of the second magazine, and placed on the end of the magazine.  
   
   
       4 . A method as in  claim 3 , wherein the step of rotating or elevating the container toward one end of the second magazine is accompanied by the step of lowering and filling a further empty container positioned around the hopper.  
   
   
       5 . A method as in  claim 3 , wherein each of the full containers placed on the end of the second magazine is directed along the selfsame magazine and into storage.  
   
   
       6 . A method as in  claim 1 , including a step of emptying containers, effected by picking up a container full of tobacco products, overturning the container above a bearing surface so as to direct the opening downwards and allow the products to drop onto the surface, and causing the bearing surface to advance along a predetermined direction parallel to the bearing surface itself, and traversing the container along a direction parallel and opposite to the feed direction of the bearing surface as the container empties, in such a way as to increase the rate of flow at which tobacco products are released from the container.  
   
   
       7 . A method as in  claim 6 , including a first emptying step, in which the container remains stationary at a first station above the advancing bearing surface, and a second emptying step identifiable as the step of traversing the container, toward a second station  
   
   
       8 . A method as in  claim 7 , including a third emptying step, in which the container remains stationary at a second station above the advancing bearing surface.  
   
   
       9 . A method as in  claim 8 , including a fourth emptying step in which a hopper, located beneath the container and above the bearing surface and set in motion as one with the container during the first, the second and the third steps, is separated from the container at the second station and set in motion along a direction concurrent with the feed direction of the bearing surface toward the first station, to the end of releasing the products still contained in the hopper.  
   
   
       10 . A method as in  claim 6 , wherein the tobacco products drop through a hopper placed between the container and the advancing bearing surface, and are separated into a plurality of ordered streams by means of flow dividers mounted in the hopper.  
   
   
       11 . A method as in  claim 7 , wherein an emptied container is picked up from the second station during the first step of emptying a full container at the first station.  
   
   
       12 . A method as in  claim 8 , wherein a full container is supplied to the first station during the third step of emptying a partially emptied container at the second station.  
   
   
       13 . A method as in  claim 11 , wherein the empty container is placed in a magazine in which empty containers are stored.  
   
   
       14 . A method as in  claim 6 , wherein the full container is picked up from a magazine in which full containers are stored.  
   
   
       15 . Equipment for batch handling and transfer of tobacco products storable in containers each presenting an opening by way of which it can be filled with or emptied of tobacco products, comprising a device for feeding, filling and distancing containers, composed of 
 a hopper with a bottom opening from which tobacco products are loaded into the containers;    a first magazine in which empty containers are stored, located near the hopper;    a second magazine in which full containers are stored, located alongside the first magazine;    a carrier assembly installed between the two magazines and rotatable about a vertical axis, by which empty containers are transferred from the first magazine to the hopper and full containers are placed in the second magazine.    
   
   
       16 . Equipment as in  claim 15 , wherein the first magazine and the second magazine consist respectively in a first belt conveyor and a second belt conveyor positioned one alongside the other.  
   
   
       17 . Equipment as in  claim 16 , wherein the bottom opening of the hopper lies adjacent to one end of the first belt conveyor and in alignment with a top branch of the selfsame first belt conveyor.  
   
   
       18 . Equipment as in  claim 17 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly is installed adjacent to one end of the second belt conveyor and to one end of the first belt conveyor.  
   
   
       19 . Equipment as in  claim 18 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly comprises at least one carrier plate rotatable about the vertical axis, capable of movement between a position of proximity to one end of the first belt conveyor, in which to receive an empty container from the first magazine for filling, and a position of proximity to one end of the second belt conveyor, in which the full container is released to the second magazine.  
   
   
       20 . Equipment as in  claim 19 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly further comprises a vertical track, on which the carrier plate is mounted slidably and capable of movement from an elevated position to a lowered position, in such a way that an empty container can be taken up and filled during the descent, and from the lowered position to the elevated position, in such a way that the filled container can be positioned at the end of the second belt conveyor following the rotational movement about the vertical axis.  
   
   
       21 . Equipment as in  claim 20 , wherein the plate is also capable of movement relative to the vertical track along a horizontal direction from a first position to a second position, so that an empty container can be transferred from the end of the first belt conveyor to the hopper, and from the second position to the first position, so that a full container can be placed on the end of the second belt conveyor following the movement of the plate from the lowered position to the elevated position.  
   
   
       22 . Equipment as in  claim 21 , wherein the plate comprises a horizontal linear guide member slidable in a horizontal direction relative to a shoe associated rigidly with a carriage slidable along the vertical track.  
   
   
       23 . Equipment as in  claim 22 , further comprising gripping means installed on the plate, serving to lay hold on and retain the container.  
   
   
       24 . Equipment as in  claim 22 , further comprising a pair of spacers mounted at opposite ends of the plate, on which the container is supported and maintained at a given distance from a top surface of the plate.  
   
   
       25 . Equipment as in  claim 19 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly comprises a frame, carrying a first vertical track located at a first end, a platform to which the frame is hinged about the vertical axis of rotation at a second end remote from the first end, a second vertical track mounted pivotably to the frame and rotatable thus about the vertical axis, a first plate mounted to the first vertical track, and a second plate mounted to the second vertical track.  
   
   
       26 . Equipment as in  claim 18 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly comprises at least one first cross member rotatable about a vertical axis and capable of movement between a position lying beneath the first belt conveyor, in which to receive a container filled from the hopper, and a position lying beneath the second belt conveyor, in which to take up a container filled from the hopper and transfer it to the second magazine.  
   
   
       27 . Equipment as in  claim 26 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly further comprises a first vertical track and a second cross member, mounted slidably to the first vertical track and capable of movement from an elevated position to a lowered position, so that an empty container can be taken up and filled in the course of the downward movement, and the full container released to the rotatable first cross member at the lowered position.  
   
   
       28 . Equipment as in  claim 27 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly further comprises a second vertical track and a third cross member, mounted slidably to the second vertical track and capable of movement from a lowered position to an elevated position, so that a full container can be taken up from the rotatable first cross member, elevated and released onto the end of the second belt conveyor from above.  
   
   
       29 . Equipment as in  claim 28 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly further comprises a third vertical track and a fourth cross member, mounted slidably to the third vertical track and capable of movement from an elevated position to a lowered position, so that an empty container can be taken up and filled in the course of the downward movement, and the full container released to the rotatable first cross member at the lowered position, the movement of the fourth cross member being phased oppositely to the movement of the second cross member.  
   
   
       30 . Equipment as in  claim 29 , wherein the first and third tracks are mounted on respective ways and traversable thus in directions substantially parallel to the transport direction of the first belt conveyor, and coupled also to a pivoting plate by which they are caused to alternate, oppositely phased, between respective first and second position.  
   
   
       31 . Equipment as in  claim 30 , wherein the rotary carrier assembly further comprises gripping means installed on the first, second, third and fourth cross member, serving to lay hold on and retain a single container stably during the handling steps.  
   
   
       32 . Equipment as in  claim 15 , comprising a device by which products are unloaded from the containers, presenting: a bearing surface caused to advance along a predetermined feed direction parallel to the selfsame surface; a first manipulator serving to overturn a full container above the bearing surface in such a way as to direct the opening downwards and allow the products to drop onto the surface; a carriage capable of movement above the bearing surface between a first station and a second station and designed to displace the container along a direction parallel and opposite to the feed direction of the bearing surface as the tobacco products are unloaded, in such a way as to increase the rate of flow at which the products are released from the container.  
   
   
       33 . Equipment as in  claim 32 , wherein the carriage consists in a hopper of which a top opening is alignable with the opening of the container and a bottom opening is offered to the bearing surface.  
   
   
       34 . Equipment as in  claim 33 , wherein the hopper comprises a back wall, a first side wall directed toward the first station and presenting a bottom edge distanced from the bearing surface, and a second side wall directed toward the second station and presenting a bottom edge in close proximity to the bearing surface.  
   
   
       35 . Equipment as in  claim 34 , wherein the hopper further comprises flow dividers by which products descending en masse through the selfsame hopper are separated into a plurality of ordered streams.  
   
   
       36 . Equipment as in  claim 35 , wherein the flow dividers are mounted pivotably to the back wall of the hopper and thus allowed freedom of angular movement relative to the wall.  
   
   
       37 . Equipment as in  claim 34 , wherein each flow divider comprises a box-like body presenting a wedge portion uppermost, hinged along a relative vertex to a pivot that extends parallel to the vertex and is anchored orthogonally to the back wall, and a parallelepiped portion beneath, such that the descending products slide down inclined surfaces presented by the wedge portion and thence through channels delimited by the dividers and the first and second side walls of the hopper.  
   
   
       38 . Equipment as in  claim 35 , wherein the height of the single flow dividers increases progressively, and their clearance from the bearing surface reduces correspondingly, departing from the divider nearest to the first side wall of the hopper.  
   
   
       39 . Equipment as in  claim 32 , wherein the bearing surface is afforded by the top branch of a belt conveyor.  
   
   
       40 . Equipment as in  claim 32 , comprising a magazine in which full containers are stored, wherein the first manipulator serves to pick up the full container from the magazine where the full containers are stored and position it at the first station.  
   
   
       41 . Equipment as in  claim 32 , comprising a magazine in which empty containers are stored, and a second manipulator serving to pick up an empty container from the second station and place it in the magazine where empty containers are stored.  
   
   
       42 . Equipment as in  claim 40 , wherein the magazine in which full containers are stored consists in a belt conveyor.  
   
   
       43 . Equipment as in  claim 41 , wherein the magazine in which empty containers are stored consists in a belt conveyor.  
   
   
       44 . Equipment as in  claim 32 , wherein the first manipulator comprises a first arm hinged about a horizontal axis extending parallel to the feed direction of the bearing surface and equipped with a gripper designed to engage the side walls of a single container.  
   
   
       45 . Equipment as in  claim 41 , wherein the second manipulator comprises a second arm hinged about a horizontal axis extending parallel to the feed direction of the bearing surface and equipped with a gripper designed to engage the side walls of a single container, mounted to one end of the second arm and rotatable about a respective axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis