Storage magazine and method for the interim storage of snus bags

Abstract

A storage hopper which is designed and adapted for interim storage of snus bags between a bag production apparatus and a transport device comprises two side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, shaft walls running parallel to the side walls and spaced apart from one another, wherein the storage hopper has, on its side facing towards the transport device, a lower closure element for storing a defined number of snus bags in each shaft and for joint discharge of the defined number of snus bags to the transport device, and wherein the storage hopper has, on the side facing towards the bag production apparatus, an upper closure element which is independent of the lower closure element.

1 . A storage hopper designed and adapted for interim storage of snus bags between a bag production apparatus and a transport device, comprising:
 two side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, shaft walls running parallel to the side walls and spaced apart from one another, which form at least two shafts in the storage hopper;   a lower closure element in each shaft on an one end of the shaft facing towards the transport device for storing a defined number of snus bags in each shaft and for joint discharge of the defined number of snus bags to the transport device and;   an upper closure element in each shaft on an opposite end of the shaft from the one end and facing towards the bag production apparatus which is independent of the lower closure element.   
     
     
         2 . The storage hopper according to  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of each shaft is constant across a height of the hopper. 
     
     
         3 . The storage hopper according to  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of each shaft increases in a direction of conveyance of the snus bags. 
     
     
         4 . The storage hopper according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of (a) the upper closure elements and (b) the lower closure elements of all shafts are formed to be jointly closable. 
     
     
         5 . The storage hopper according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of (a) the upper closure elements and (b) the lower closure elements of all shafts are formed as a pivotable flap. 
     
     
         6 . The storage hopper according to  claim 5 , and further including a drive for at least one of (a) the upper closure elements and the (b) the lower closure elements is a pneumatic cylinder. 
     
     
         7 . The storage hopper according to  claim 1 , further including a sliding plate connected to the upper closure element in a direction of conveyance of the snus bags, which sliding plate forms a shaft jointly with the upper closure element in its closed state. 
     
     
         8 . A method for storing snus bags in a storage hopper between a snus bag production apparatus including a plurality of parallel production belts and a transport device, wherein the storage hopper has at least two shafts and a lower closure element and an upper closure element for the shafts, comprising:
 a) closing the lower closure element of the storage hopper;   b) accumulating a predetermined number of snus bags in each shaft;   c) opening the lower closure element of the storage hopper when the predetermined number of snus bags is reached;   d) discharging the snus bags to the transport device; and   e) testing the snus bags before leaving the bag production apparatus while the upper closure element is closed and when, during testing, a faulty snus bag has been detected, discharging the faulty bag and subsequently opening the upper closure element.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further including jointly discharging with the faulty snus hag all those snus bags which leave the snus bag production apparatus from the parallel production belts simultaneously with the faulty snus bag. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the transport device comprises individual transport portions, and the discharge of the snus bags to the transport device is carried so that a predetermined number of snus bags of each shaft is emptied directly into a separate empty transport portion of the transport device and the transport device transports the transport portions further so that, the next time the lower closure element is opened according to step c), each shaft is again assigned an empty transport portion. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , including maintaining the lower closure element open while the last of a predetermined number of snus bags is still falling through the storage hopper. 
     
     
         12 . An arrangement for producing and packaging snus bags, comprising a pack production apparatus, a test device for testing the quality of the produced snus bags, a storage hopper according to  claim 1  and a device for repacking the snus bags into a transport device. 
     
     
         13 . A method for producing and packaging snus bags employing a bag production apparatus and a transport device, comprising utilizing the storage hopper according to  claim 1  for interim storage of snus bags between the bag production apparatus and the transport device,