The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 08, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 28, 1998
Leonard James Bryant, High Wycombe, GB;
Anthony Robert Brown, High Wycombe, GB;
Peter Alec Clarke, Haddenham, GB;
John Dawson, Crick, GB;
Kerry Hierons, High Wycombe, GB;
Ivan Yehudi Hirsh, High Wycombe, GB;
Robert Antony Macgregor, High Wycombe, GB;
Neil Thorp, Upton, GB;
Robert Howard Taylor, High Wycombe, GB;
Molins Plc, Milton Keynes, GB;
Abstract
A conveyor system for transporting cigarettes between a making machine and a packing machine includes a mass flow conveyor (,) for transporting cigarettes directly and a reservoir system (,) in which successive batches of cigarettes comprising portions of the stream on an input conveyor (,) are diverted when required into compartmented containers (,). Transfer to the containers is made by way of a plunger (,) and shuttle (,) arrangement which allows the stream to move continuously during transfer of a batch. Unloading containers to reform a continuous stream may involve use of a similar plunger and shuttle arrangement so that the reformed stream can move continuously on an output conveyor (,). The input and output conveyors (,) may be provided with retractable spaced partitions to bound the ends of batches of cigarettes transferred from or to the respective conveyor.