GB1106363A - Method and apparatus for producing blocks or batches of cigarettes or other rod-likearticles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,106,363. Packaging cigarettes; endless conveyers. K. KÍRBER. 23 March, 1965 [4 March, 1964], No. 9102/64. Headings B8A and B8C. Blocks of cigarettes &c. are assembled from a supply issuing directly from a producing machine and fed to a packaging machine without intermediate storage, the cigarettes being formed into rows and the rows superimposed to form the blocks, the delivery of the rows to form the blocks, the feeding of the blocks to the packaging machine and the operation of that machine, all being dependent on the operation of the means. Cigarettes form a continuous row on an infeed belt 3 and are picked up by a suction head 4 which arranges them into three groups of 7-6-7. A pusher 7 thrusts them into pockets 5 on a conveyer 11 which then advances one pocket length. After initial build-up, each pocket receives in turn 7, 6 and then 7 cigarettes as it moves past the feed position in three steps. This completes a batch of 20 in each pocket. An overhead belt ensures that the batches are pressed down into the pockets, Fig. 2 (not shown). The batches are ejected by a pusher 9 into the packaging machine 8 (not described). A feed device extending the length of six pockets but operating only at every second movement of the conveyer 5 is suggested (not detailed), the pusher ejecting two batches simultaneously or operating at twice the speed of the feeding device.