Feeding device for cigarette filters and similar rods

Abstract

A device for feeding cigarette filters or similar rod-like articles comprises a fluted drum and a conveyor for feeding a stack-like stream of filters towards the drum and including a conveyor band which is arranged to engage one side of the stack-like stream of filters while moving between two longitudinally spaced guides between which the conveyor is capable of deflecting outwards, in response to the pressure of the filters and against a restraining force, to accommodate a variable quantity of filters in the region of the conveyor band.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a cigarette filter attachment machine, means for feeding filter rods comprising a fluted drum for carrying filter rods in the flutes thereof; powdered conveyor means arranged to feed a stack-like multi-layer stream of filter rods towards the fluted drum whereby movement of the conveyor means urges the filter rods towards the fluted drum to ensure that filter rods enter the flutes of the fluted drum, at least a part of said conveyor means being disposed at a level below the top of said fluted drum; means defining an expandable area for filter rods above the said part of said conveyor means disposed below the top of the fluted drum and including means upstream of said fluted drum for selectively supporting above the said expandable area a succession of filter-containing trays for feeding filter rods from the trays and onto the conveyor means; and pneumatic feed means for feeding pneumatically-delivered filter rods into the expandable area above the conveyor means adjacent to the end of the conveyor means remote from the fluted drum, whereby the volume of the filter rods expands in the expandable area when filter rods enter the expandable area from the feed means at a rate greater than that at which filter rods are conveyed from the expandable area by the conveyor means. 
     
     
       2. A filter attachment machine according to claim 1, including detecting means for detecting the height of the filter rods in the expandable area and for controlling the operation of said feed means in response thereto. 
     
     
       3. A filter attachment machine according to claim 2, in which the said detecting means is mounted at a level above the level of the upper surface of the stack-like stream which is fed from the expandable area by said conveyor means. 
     
     
       4. A filter attachment machine according to claim 3, in which said feed means is arranged to feed filter rods into the expandable area at an entry level below the minimum level of the upper surface of the filter rods in the expandable area. 
     
     
       5. A filter attachment machine according to claim 1 further including a conveyor band confining the upper surface of the stack-like multi-layer stream of filter rods adjacent to the fluted drum, said conveyor band being arranged to move between two guides between which the conveyor band is capable of deflecting outwardly in response to the pressure of the filter rods and against a restraining force, and including means for detecting when the conveyor band is deflected outwardly to a predetermined extent and for thereupon reducing the speed of the conveyor means. 
     
     
       6. A filter attachment machine according to claim 5 in which the restraining force is produced by a tensioning device for the conveyor band. 
     
     
       7. A filter attachment machine according to claim 6 in which deflection of the conveyor band is indicated by movement of the tensioning device. .Iadd. 
     
     
       8.  Apparatus for use in a filter attachment machine for feeding filter rods comprising a fluted drum for conveying filters in the flutes thereof, means defining a filter storage area having an outlet for the passage of filters towards the drum, filter receiving means for receiving pneumatically-fed filter rods and for conveying the filter rods into the storage area, means for controlling the delivery of filter rods into the storage area by the filter receiving means to maintain an approximately-constant quantity of filter rods in the storage area while the filter receiving means is in operation, and means for removably mounting a tray at the storage area for delivery of filters from the tray while the filter receiver means is inoperative, characterized in that the outlet from the storage area is horizontally spaced from the fluted drum and that the apparatus includes conveying means which extends below the outlet and towards the fluted drum along a line intersecting the drum for conveying a stack-like stream of filter rods towards the fluted drum from the storage area..Iaddend. .Iadd.9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the filter receiver means includes conveying means for conveying the filters substantially horizontally into the storage area..Iaddend. .Iadd.10. Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising means including a refuser roller mounted adjacent to the fluted drum and above the filter rods and arranged to be rotatably driven in the same direction as the drum for preventing any rods from being carried forward on the surface of the drum past said refuser roller, any rods tending to be so carried by the drum being driven by the refuser roller back into the stack-like stream of rods on the conveying means..Iaddend. .Iadd.11. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said conveying means is arranged to convey the filter rods directly onto one side of the fluted drum..Iaddend. .Iadd.12. Apparatus according to claim 11 including confining means above the conveying means for confining the rods in the region adjacent to the fluted drum while allowing limited expansion of the 
     
     
        stack of rods in that region..Iaddend. .Iadd.13.  Apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising means including a refuser roller mounted adjacent to the fluted drum and above the filter rods and arranged to be rotatably driven in the same direction as the drum for preventing any rods from being carried forward on the surface of the drum past said refuser roller, any rods tending to be so carried by the drum being driven by the refuser roller back into the stack-like stream of rods on the conveying means..Iaddend. .Iadd.14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the filter receiver means includes conveying means for conveying the filters substantially horizontally into the storage area..Iaddend. .Iadd.15. In a cigarette filter attachment machine, means for feeding filter rods comprising a fluted drum for carrying filter rods in the flutes thereof; powered conveyor means arranged to feed a stack-like multi-layer stream of filter rods towards the fluted drum whereby movement of the conveyor means urges the filter rods towards the fluted drum to ensure that filter rods enter the flutes of the fluted drum, at least a part of said conveyor means being disposed at a level below the top of said fluted drum; means defining an expandable area for filter rods above the said part of said conveyor means disposed below the top of the fluted drum and including means upstream of said fluted drum for selectively supporting above the said expandable area a succession of filter-containing trays for feeding filter rods from the trays and onto the conveyor means; and pneumatic feed means for feeding pneumatically-delivered filter rods into the expandable area above the conveyor means whereby the volume of the filter rods expands in the expandable area when the filter rods enter the expandable area from the feed means at a rate greater than that at which filter rods are conveyed from the expandable area by the conveyor means..Iaddend.