Method and apparatus for feeding cigarettes or analogous articles to packing machines or the like

Abstract

Trays containing stacks of cigarettes are moved to an evacuating station above a vertically movable platform which descends as soon as the movable bottom of a filled tray is moved to its open position. The platform then lowers a stack of cigarettes from the interior of a filled tray onto the upper stretches of two intermittently driven endless belts in a magazine. The latter serves for temporary storage of such stacks prior to transport of cigarettes into a reservoir which feeds cigarettes into the hopper of a packing machine. The supply of cigarettes in the reservoir is monitored.[.,.]. and.Iadd., .Iaddend.when the supply is depleted to a certain minimum permissible value, a switch produces a signal which starts a motor for the belts so as to transfer a stack from the magazine into the reservoir. The stacks are confined during movement into and from the magazine so that the mutual positions of cigarettes in such stacks remain at least substantially unchanged during transport from a filled tray at the evacuating station and all the way into the reservoir. .Iadd.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims: 
     
       1. A method of feeding to a consuming station cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which are transported on holders from at least one producing station to an evacuating station in the form of stacks of confined parallel articles and are further processed at the consuming station, each stack being made up only of the entire contents of one said holder, comprising the steps of withdrawing each successive stack from each successive holder at said evacuating station by moving the stack in a substantially vertical direction only--while maintaining the articles of the respective stack in at least substantially unchanged position with respect to each other--to an intermediate supply station where each of the thus withdrawn stacks forms an intermediate supply of articles; transporting each of said stacks of articles from said intermediate supply station in a substantially horizontal direction by moving the articles of said stack sideways and while maintaining the articles of the respective stacks in at least substantially unchanged position in which they have been during vertical movement from said evacuating station to said intermediate supply station whereby the thus successively transported stacks form a main supply of articles; and transferring articles from said main supply to the consuming station in at least substantially parallel position with respect to each other and at the rate at which the articles are being processed at said consuming station. 
     
     
       2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of monitoring said main supply of articles and initiating said transporting step in response to depletion of said main supply to a predetermined value. 
     
     
       3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of starting a fresh withdrawing step in response to completion of each transporting step. 
     
     
       4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising the steps of blocking the withdrawal of stacks of articles from said evacuating station and terminating said blocking step immediately prior to start of said withdrawing step. 
     
     
       5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said transferring step comprises moving the articles from said main supply at a speed which is less than the speed of articles in the course of said transporting step. 
     
     
       6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said withdrawing step comprises moving successive stacks from a higher level to a lower level. 
     
     
       7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said evacuating station is located at a level above said consuming station. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus for feeding to a consuming station cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which are transported in receptacles from at least one producing station to an evacuating station and wherein each filled receptacle contains a stack of parallel articles, comprising a reservoir arranged to store a floating supply of articles for delivery to said consuming station at the rate at which the articles are being processed at the consuming station; a magazine disposed between said evacuating station and said reservoir; withdrawing means operative to move stacks of articles in a substantially vertical direction from successive filled receptacles at said evacuating station into said magazine, said withdrawing means and said magazine comprising cooperating elements arranged to maintain the articles of said stacks in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other; transporting means operative to move batches of articles from said magazine into said reservoir in a substantially horizontal direction, including means for maintaining the articles of such batches in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other, said transporting means comprising at least one conveyor which includes a first portion arranged to withdraw articles from said magazine and a second portion arranged to move the thus withdrawn articles in said reservoir; and adjusting means for changing the position of one said conveyor portions with respect to the other conveyor portion. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said means for maintaining the articles of said batches, in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other comprises at least one pair of mobile panels arranged to push the articles of said batches during transport into said reservoir. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said conveyor comprises at least one endless belt having an article-supporting upper stretch. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus for feeding to a consuming station cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which are transported in receptacles from at least one producing station to an evacuating station, wherein each filled receptacle contains a stack of parallel articles, and wherein each receptacle comprises a wall which is movable between an open position in which it affords access to the stack of articles in such receptacle and a closed position, comprising a reservoir arranged to store a floating supply of articles for delivery to said consuming station at the rate at which the articles are being processed at the consuming station; a magazine disposed between said evacuating station and said reservoir; withdrawing means operative to move stacks of articles in a substantially vertical direction from successive filled receptacles at said evacuating station into said magazine, said withdrawing means and said magazine comprising cooperating elements arranged to maintain the articles of said stacks in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other and said withdrawing means further comprising a support for stacks which is movable between a first end position adjacent to a filled receptacle at said evacuating station and a second end position which said support assumes upon completed transport of a stack of articles into said magazine; control means including means for moving the wall of a filled receptacle at said evacuating station to said open position in response to movement of said support to said first end position and for moving the wall of such receptacle back to said closed position in response to movement of said support to said second end position; and transporting means operative to to move batches of articles from said magazine into said reservoir in a substantially horizontal direction, including means of maintaining the articles of such batches in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said transporting means comprises two endless conveyors and said means for maintaining the articles of said batches in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other comprises confining panels mounted on said endless conveyors. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said withdrawing means comprises a vertically movable support and said magazine is disposed at a level below said evacuating station so that the stacks of articles on said support are moved downwardly during transport from said evacuating station. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the number of articles in each of said batches equals the number of articles in said stacks so that the supply of articles in said magazine is exhausted in response to each operation of said transporting means. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said walls are the bottom walls of receptacles at said evacuating station. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the receptacles are polygonal trays. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for monitoring the supply of articles in said reservoir and for producing signals in response to depletion of such supply to a predetermined minimum value, and further comprising blocking means movable to and from a blocking position in which said blocking means prevents the transport of articles from said magazine into said reservoir, and control means for moving said blocking means from said blocking position in response to said signals. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said control means includes electromagnet means which is energizable in response to said signals to thereby move said blocking means from said blocking position. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising blocking means movable to and from a blocking position in which said blocking means prevents the transport of articles from said magazine into said reservoir, and control means for operating said transporting means in response to movement of said blocking means from said blocking position. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said control means comprises detector means which is arranged to produce signals in response to movement of said blocking means from said blocking position and said transporting means comprises motor means which is started in response to said signals. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said transporting means comprises a plurality of endless conveyors and said blocking means comprises panels articulately connected with said conveyors. 
     
     
       22. A method of feeding to a consuming station cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which are transported from at least one producing station to an evacuating station in the form of stacks of parallel articles confined in receptacles of the type having a wall movable between open and closed positions to allow for withdrawal of a stack from such receptacle in the open position of said wall and which articles are further processed at the consuming station, comprising the steps of moving the walls of successive filled receptacles at said evacuating station to open positions; withdrawing the stacks from the receptacles at said evacuating station immediately after movement of the respective walls to open positions by moving the respective stacks in a substantially vertical direction while maintaining the articles of the respective stacks in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other whereby each of the thus withdrawn stacks forms an intermediate supply of articles; returning the walls of receptacles to closed positions in response to completion of the respective withdrawing steps; transporting batches of articles from said intermediate supply in a substantially horizontal direction while maintaining the articles of the respective batches in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other whereby the thus transported batches form a main supply of articles; and transferring articles from said main supply to the consuming station at the rate at which the articles are being processed at said consuming station. 
     
     
       23. Apparatus for feeding to a consuming station cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles which are transported in receptacles from at least one producing station to an evacuating station and wherein each filled receptacle contains a stack of parallel articles, comprising a reservoir arranged to store a floating main supply of articles for delivery to said consuming station at the rate at which the articles are being processed at the consuming station; a magazine disposed between said evacuating station and said reservoir; withdrawing means operative to move stacks of articles in a substantially vertical direction from successive filled receptacles at said evacuating station into said magazine, said withdrawing means and said magazine comprising cooperating elements arranged to maintain the articles of said stacks in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other; and transporting means operative to move batches of articles from said magazine into said reservoir in a substantially horizontal direction, including means for maintaining the articles of such batches in at least substantially unchanged positions with respect to each other, said last mentioned means comprising at least one pair of mobile panels which are disposed between said reservoir and said magazine during introduction of a stack of articles into said magazine to thus temporarily prevent the movement of articles from said magazine into said reservoir. .Iadd. 
     
     
       24.  In a system for conveying cigarettes or other rod-like articles in containers, said system including an article delivery device and an article receiving device, means for inserting articles into containers, and means for conveying containers, apparatus for forming a stream of articles, comprising an unloading station; means for conveying through said unloading station a succession of containers containing batches of the articles; means for successively removing batches of articles from said containers; retaining means for receiving and confining batches of articles from said containers, said retaining means including spaced members arranged to confine each end of a batch; means for removing said spaced members from around said batch; and means for conveying away from said unloading station, as a continuous stream after said spaced members have been removed, batches of articles received by said retaining means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 24 including means for intermittently driving said article conveying means and means for intermittently moving a container through said unloading station in synchronism with said conveying means, said batch removing means being arranged to remove articles from said containers when said conveying means and said container moving means are stationary. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein the article conveying means comprises an endless conveyor..Iaddend. .Iadd.27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein the spaced members include upstanding end plates associated with said conveyor, the spacing between adjacent end plates matching one dimension of a container.