Molins Plc

Allen F Griffiths

Robert Howard Taylor

David C Carter

Frank Heybourn

Anthony R Brown

A reversible reservoir for cigarettes or filters includes relatively small and relatively large capacity sections arranged in series with a drive for driving these sections at different rates. The small section is preferably arranged adjacent the reservoir inlet and is capable of buffering the main part of the reservoir so that the latter is not required to undergo high accelerations. The reservoir may be in the form of an elongated helix with an endless conveyor (2;102) passing around spaced columns of wheels (8, 10, 12, 14, 16; 108, 112, 114), one of the lowermost wheels (8;108) being bodily movable so as to be capable of imposing an additional velocity on the section of conveyor adjacent the reservoir inlet (7;107). The movable wheel is carried on a (36;136) which also carries a pulley (26;126) for the conveyer return run. Tensioning (42-50;142-150) for the conveyor is provided by arranging for the position of the pulley (26;126) to be adjustable relative to the beam (36;136).

Conveyor system for rod-like articles

A conveyor system principally for use as a variable capacity reservoir for rod-like articles such as cigarettes in stack formation, comprises a series of partly overlapping wheels (202, 204, 206, 208) supporting a laterally flexible conveyor (200). The wheels define an inclined generally helical path for the conveyor and are partly inclined in the same direction as the conveyor. The inclination of each wheel is set by pairs of rollers (234, 236) which engage the periphery of each wheel.

Growing community of inventors

Bucks, United Kingdom

Allen F Griffiths