Hauni-werke Korber & Co Kg.

Alois Kasparek

Jurgen Burger

Gunter Wahle

A combination of production lines for the manufacture of filter cigarettes wherein the filter tipping machines form several groups. The number of groups exceeds by one the number of machines in a group. Each machine receives filter rod sections from one of two different pneumatic senders by way of one of two discrete pneumatic conveyors. Each sender has a hopper for sections and several pneumatic propelling units which deliver sections from the respective hopper into the corresponding conveyors. The possibility of feeding sections to each machine from either one of two discrete senders ensures that the machines need not be shut down in the event of malfunction of a given sender, of one of the two propelling units for a machine or of one of two conveyors for a machine. Receiving units between the discharge ends of the pneumatic conveyors and the magazines of the respective machines convert files of sections which issue from the pneumatic conveyors into rows and effect forcible admission of sections into the magazines.

Apparatus for replenishing the supplies of filter rod sections in the

The outlets of pneumatic pipes in a transporting unit which delivers filter rod sections from a filter rod making machine and wherein the sections move axially admit successive sections into a separating unit wherein the speed of sections is uniformized and the sections are separated from each other by clearances of preselected length prior to entry into the corresponding channels of a deflecting unit which changes the direction of movement of each section from axial to sidewise movement and directs the sections into a junction zone. The latter admits a multi-layer stream of parallel sections which move sideways onto the upper reach of an endless belt conveyor which delivers the stream to a processing machine. The speed of the conveyor is regulated in dependency on the rate at which the deflecting unit receives sections from the separating unit so that the rate of delivery of sections to the processing machine matches the rate of delivery of articles to the separating and deflecting units.

Apparatus for transporting rod-shaped articles between the discharge

Apparatus which transports filter rod sections from a maker to a processing machine has a pneumatic sender which admits a file of sections into the inlet of a pneumatic conveyor whose outlet delivers sections to a receiver wherein the file of sections is converted into a row which is admitted into the magazine of the processing machine. A first photoelectronic detector monitors the travel of sections at the inlet of the conveyor and a second photoelectronic detector monitors the sections in the region of an accelerating device forming part of the receiver and serving to separate successive sections of the file from each other. The transducers of the detectors are connected with an evaluating circuit having several logic circuits one of which generates defect signals in response to detection of absence of delivery of sections from the sender into the conveyor, another of which generates defect signals in the absence of proper delivery of sections into the receiver, a third of which compares the numbers of impulses transmitted by the two detectors and generates a defect signal when the result of comparison indicates the presence of a pileup of sections in the outlet of the conveyor, and a fourth of which activates a pneumatic ejector if the width of gaps between successive sections downstream of the accelerating device is insufficient. The fourth logic circuit further serves to arrest the receiver when the spacing between the sections downstream of the accelerating device is insufficient to convert the file into a row, and to arrest the sender when the spacing between successive sections downstream of the accelerating device equals or approaches zero.

Apparatus for transporting filter rod sections or the like

A receiving station at the outlets of several pneumatic conveyor pipes which discharge discrete files of axially moving filter plugs accommodates a separating unit immediately downstream of the outlets and an orientation changing unit immediately downstream of the separating unit. The separating unit defines discrete lanes, one for each file of filter plugs. In each of the lanes, the filter plugs of the respective file are converted into a series of axially spaced filter plugs which continue to move lengthwise, and the filter plugs of each series are delivered into discrete upright ducts of the orientation changing unit wherein each series is transformed into a row whose filter plugs move sideways. The transport of filter plugs in each lane of the separating unit can be interrupted or resumed independently of any other lane in response to signals from photocells which monitor the transport of filter plugs in the conveyor pipes and/or in the ducts and transmit signals in response to detection of irregular or improper delivery of filter plugs to one or more sections or devices of the separating and/or orientation changing unit. This ensures that the orientation changing unit can deliver a continuous row of plugs to a processing machine or an intermediate conveyor even in the event of malfunction of one or more pipes, one or more sections of the separating unit and/or one or more devices of the orientation changing unit.

Apparatus for manipulating filter rod sections or the like between

The magazine of each of an entire battery of filter tipping machines receives filter rod sections by way of two discrete pneumatic conveyors whose inlets receive filter rod sections from discrete sources by way of pneumatic propelling units and whose outlets admit files of axially moving filter rod sections into discrete receiving units having devices for converting the files into rows and for forcibly feeding the rows into spaced-apart portions of the respective magazines below the upper surfaces of the supplies of filter rod sections in such magazines. Each propelling unit can be started or arrested independently of the associated propelling unit, and each receiving unit can feed filter rod sections at less than maximum capacity and/or intermittently.

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Hamburg, Germany

Alois Kasparek