US3426503A - Cigarette packaging apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 11, 1969 J SHERRILL 3,426,503

CIGARETTE PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 23, 1965 Sheet of 7 I I FREELY MOVABLE EMPTY ARBOR EIIFIII ARBOR I2 I AccuuuLIIIDIc STATION ARBOR M PRODUCT TO BE FILLING I PACKAGED STATION E. c. CIGARETTES FILLED ARBOR I8 ACCUHULATING w- I STATION V I FILLED ARBOR W T WRAPPING STATION so FRE'ELY MOVABLE V EMPTY ARBOR ARBOR FILLED '24 PACKAGE K 1 SEPARATING STATION 2 28 2e FILLED PACKAGE T0 SUBSEOUENT OPERATING STATIONS E.c. PACKAGE DDIIPLETIDLI, aoxmc,

SHIPPING Fl L INVENTOR.

JOSEPH H. SHERRILL BY {1 ATTORNEY Feb. 11, 1969 Filed Aug. 25, 1965 MOUTHPIECE J. H. SHERRILL C IGARETTE PACKAGING APPARATUS POCKET PLUNGER ARBOR HOLDER W I38 L |2 Ins PRIMARY ARBOR SENSOR FILLER STAGE ARBOR PLUNGER I42 \RECIPROCATIRG COMPRESSOR POCKET 94 no n2 7 Feb. 11, 1969 J. H. SHERRILL 3,426,503

C IGARETTE PACKAG ING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 23, 1965 Sheet 4 of 7 HOPPER I 68 7 HOPPER SENSOR 8l K76 82 210 f? 83 AGITATION ROLLERS 14 FIG. 5. x

"88 as 90 64 90b 1 1 90a 104 92 02 'l:1. J '00 r I22 F RECIPROCATING I COMPRESSOR Poem 94 J x; J His I r United States Patent 3,426,503 CIGARETTE PACKAGING APPARATUS Joseph H. Sherrill, Winston-Salem, N.C., assignor to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 23 1965 Ser. No. 481 632 U.S. Cl.53--124 14 Claims Int. 01. B653) 19/04, 19/12, 5/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the packaging of a product. It has particular application to the packaging of cigarettes.

The current conventional process for manufacturin packaged cigarettes includes a making machine which forms the individual cigarettes and delivers them on a belt commonly termed a catcher belt. From the catcher belt, the cigarettes are loaded, either by machine or by hand, into a portable receptacle, commonly called a tray, holding several thousand cigarettes. After a tray is filled at the making machine, the tray is transported, either on a conveyor or by a truck, to a packing machine. There the cigarettes are counted into groups of a predetermined number (usually twenty), and then packed.

In a typical packing machine, the cigarettes from the tray are fed into a hopper, from which groups (usually twenty to a group) are counted and arranged in the relatlve positions they will have in the finished package. Each counted group is then compressed laterally and forced endwise into a hollow arbor, open at both ends, and flared outwardly at the receiving end so as to guide the entering cigarettes. The arbor has internal lateral dimensions slightly smaller than those of a finished package of cigarettes, and external lateral dimensions about the same as a finished package. The arbor is, however, somewhat longer than a finished package.

After the arbor is filled, an inner Wrapper is formed around the discharge end of the arbor, closing that end. A cup, or label-carrying paper wrapper, open at one end, is then Wrapped over the inner wrapper. The cigarettes are then pushed out of the arbor through the closed end, carrying the inner Wrapper and the cup with them. Since the cigarettes have been tightly compressed in the arbor, they expand as they leave the arbor, filling the inner wrapper. The open end of the inner wrapper is then closed. Usually, the inner Wrapper is of foil laminated with paper. A sealing strip is applied transversely across the open end of the cup.

The packages from the packing machine are then transferred to a Wrapping machine, where they are enclosed in an outer wrapper, usually of transparent plastic material, e.g., cellophane.

Cigarette-making machines commonly in use produce cigarettes at a rate equal to about half the rate at which a packing machine can pack them. Consequently, it is usual to employ about twice as many making machines as packing machines. The rate of output of the packing machines is limited by the slowest operation performed in them, which is the counting and arbor filling operation.

In accordance with the present invention, that operation is removed as a limiting factor on the speed of the packing machines, so that one packing machine may take care of the output of more than two making machines.

In the past, the hollow arbors for containing the cigarettes during the packing operation have been fastened to a conveyor mechanism, such as a rotary drum. As a result, the arbors are conveyed to and from fixed locations and are not susceptible of being selectively conveyed to alternate positions. Hence if there is a failure in the packing machine, the entire packing operation, including the transfer of cigarettes to and from the machine, ..is brought to a halt because the conveying operations cannot be changed to compensate for the failure. In the present invention, the arbors are not fastened to a conveyor mechanism, and advantageously they do not have flared ends. Flared guides are employed at arbor-filling points only. The absence of flared ends as well as attachment to a conveyor mechanism renders the arbors suitable for being conveyor to alternate locations for accumulation in the event of machine failure, e.g., and generally facilitates a speeding of the packing operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved packaging apparatus and methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide packaging apparatus and methods which permit the selective conveying of arbors for packaging a product to alternate locations.

Another object of the invention is to employ a freely movable arbor in the packaging of a product.

A further object of this invention is to employ a freely movable arbor whtch may be stacked with other arbors for accumulation.

These and other objects are achieved in the present invention by employing a freely movable arbor, i.e., a. releasably securable arbor, for the packaging of a product. The term freely movable arbor as well as the term releasably securable arbor as used herein is intended to designate a hollow container which is not fixedly attached to any mechanism but which is freely movable in the sense that it may be transferred from one location to another and, in particular, may be transferred to any one of several alternate locations. An arbor is regarded as freely movable or releasably securable even though it is held in place on a conveyor, for example, by some form of mechanical or magnetic retainer. The term means that at one or more points the arbor is unrestrained so that it may be transferred from one conveying means to another, for example.

By providing such a freely movable arbor, a product to be packaged can be placed within the arbor, at an arbor-filling unit which may be, e.g., at a product-making machine, and then the arbor can be conveyed to a wrapper-forming machine in which a wrapper is wrapped about the arbor and the product therein. Thereafter the wrapper and the product together may be disassociated from the arbor, and the wrapper may then be completed so as to completely enclose the product. The empty arbor is then returned to the arbor-filling unit to be filled again with the product to be packaged. Such a system lends itself to the providing of alternate operating stations, such as accumulating stations wherein either empty or filled arbors are accumulated. As an example, with the freely movable arbor, if a wrapper-forming machine is operating at too slow a rate to accommodate steadily all articles to be wrapped from the product-making machine, aribors filled with the product to be packaged may be accumulated to be supplied at a later time to the same or to another wrapper-forming machine.

In the packaging of cigarettes, a typical sequence might be first to fill empty arbors with cigarettes and then to wrap the filled arbors with an inner wrapper. The conveying system may include accumulating stations for accumulating em pty arbors as well as arbors filled with cigarettes but unwrapped with the packaging material. In this fashion, shutdowns in the arbor-filling station or the wrapper-forming station can be tolerated without causing a complete cessation of the overall process.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, empty arbors first may be wrapped with a packaging material and then filled with a product to be packaged. This sequence has particular application tothe packaging of finely divided material, for example, soap flakes. Again, the system may include accumulating stations to accumulate empty arbors and arbors filled with product.

In the present invention, as directed to the packaging of cigarettes, trays of cigarettes may be carried to a packing machine as has been done in the past, and the cigarettes may then be placed in the freely movable arbors, or one or more cigarette-making machines may supply cigarettes directly from the catcher belts thereof into a hopper for conventional counting into the conventional lots of twenty cigarettes each to be then transferred to the freely movable arbors. It is particularly advantageous to transfer cigarettes directly from cigarette-making machines into the freely movable arbors since the risk of deformation and damage by handling, transportation and storage is greatly lessened because the arbors provide a holder for the cigarettes to prevent damage. The cigarette-filled arbors may be transported by conveyor belt or any other means to one or more locations where it is desirable to locate the packing and wrapping machines as well as accumulators. With this arrangement, making machines and packing and wrapping machines may be handled in a group, and the shutting down of one or more machines will not adversely affect the operation since the arbors may be shunted to and from different machines to accommodate different combinations of operative machines.

The invention will be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of representative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram in block form illustrating a representative packaging system incorporating freely movable arbors in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a typical sequence of packaging operations in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating one type of arbor filling and subsequent arbor-filled package separating operations suitable for the packaging operations shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of an arbor-filling station in a system for the packaging of cigarettes in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4a shows a pocket plunger forming a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 4, and is a view taken along the line 4a4a in FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a view of a portion of the arbor-filling station of FIG. 4, taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a mechanism for transferring loose cigarettes to a reciprocating compressor pocket;

FIG. 6 is a view of the system shown in FIG. 4, taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing unfilled and filled arbor accumulating stations as well as mechanisms for conveying arbors from one operating station to another;

FIG. 7 is a view of the system shown in FIG. 6, looking downwardly from the line 7P7 in that figure; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a representative control system for controlling the various mechanisms shown in Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown, in block diagram form, a system for the packing of a product and incorporating a plurality of freely movable arbors. As pointed out before, a freely movable arbor is an arbor unattached to its conveying means during selected portions of the travel of the arbor through the system so that it may be advantageously conveyed from station to station and, in particular, conveyed to alternate stations. The system shown in FIG. 1 is in the form of a closed loop and is particularly adapted for the packaging of cigarettes. The loop is shown to commence with a freely movable, empty arbor 10 which is conveyed by any suitable conveying means to a junction 12. From the junction 12 the arbor is normally conveyed to an arborfilling station 14, to which is supplied the product to be packaged, for example, cigarettes. In the event that the arbor filling station 14 is non-operative or cannot receive an empty arbor from the junction 12 for whatever reason, the empty arbor and subsequent empty arbors are conveyed from the junction 12 to an empty arbor ac cumulating station 16 wherein the empty arbors are stored. The empty arbor accumulating station 16 is controlled so that, in the event that the arbor filling station 14 can receive empty arbors to be filled with the product to be packaged but no empty arbors are available at the junction 12, then empty arbors are provided by the accumulating station 16 to the junction to be conveyed to the filling station 14.

At the filling station 14, each arbor is filled with the product to be packaged and then is conveyed to a junction 18 from which the filled arbors are normally conveyed to a filled arbor wrapping station 20, to which is supplied a packaging material. In the event that the wrapping station 20 is inoperative or cannot receive product-filled arbors for whatever reason, then the arbors are conveyed from the junction 18 to a filled arbor accumulating station 22. The station 22 is similar to the station 16 in that it accumulates arbors, in this case product-filled arbors, as long as the wrapping station 20 is unable to receive arbors to be wrapped. The accumulating station 22 is controlled so that it may selectively supply productfilled arbors to the junction 18 to be conveyed to the wrapping station 20 in the event that the Wrapping station is able to receive arbors for wrapping and none are being supplied from the arbor filling station 14.

At the filled arbor wrapping station 20, the packaging material supplied to the station is wrapped about each arbor supplied to the station, the arbor serving as a form for the wrapping of the product. The station 20 may receive arbors for wrapping from one or more filling stations, such as the station 14, or one or more accumulating stations, such as the station 22. The wrapped arbors pass from the wrapping station 20 to an arbor-filled package separating station 24 in which the arbor is separated from the packaging material and the product enclosed therein. This is typically accomplished by a pusher mechanism (a representative form of which is shown in FIG. 2 and explained below) which is applied against the product inside the arbor and which passes through the arbor, in the case of a hollow arbor open at both ends, to push the product and the packaging material away from the arbor. From the separating station 24, each productfilled package (designated as 26) is conveyed to subsequent operating stations, for example, for package completion, boxing and shipping. The empty arbors are conveyed from the station 24, as shown at 28 and 30, back to the junction 12 from which they are either conveyed to the accumulating station 16 or to the filling station 14 as described above.

In the system of FIG. 1, two accumulating stations 16 and 22 have been shown, for the purpose of storing empty and product-filled arbors, respectively. It should be noted that additional accumulating stations (not shown) may be employed, for example, to store arbors from the wrapping station 20 in the event that they cannot be supplied directly to the separating station 24. It should be further noted that the sequence of operations in the system of FIG. 1 is particularly adapted to a prod uct such as cigarettes which will frictionally retain itself within an [arbor when tightly packed therein. With such a product, the arbors may be first filled and then wrapped. In the case of a loose product which will not be retained in a hollow arbor open at both ends, then the packaging sequence would be first to wrap the empty arbors with the packaging material and then to fill the wrapped arbors with the product to be packaged. This latter packaging sequence is shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 2 AND 3 Referring to FIG. 2, an empty arbor 32 is shown just prior to being conveyed to arbor wrapping station 34. The anbor 32 typically is a hollow container, rectangular in section and open at both its ends. The arbor may be of different shape, of course. The empty arbor is conveyed to the wrapping station 34, the first substation of which is designated 34a. At the substation 34a, packaging material 36 such as paper is positioned adjacent to one end of the arbor 32. At the next substation 34b, the packaging material 36 is folded as at 38 against the side faces of the arbor 32. The arbor may be held by any convenient holding means during this and previous and subsequent operations. Typically the arbor is longer than the package to be completed, so that a space 39 is available on the arbor to which the holding means (a representative form of which is shown in FIG. 3) may be affixed without interfering with the completion of the pack-age. The arbor is then conveyed to the next substation 340 wherein tucks are completed in the packaging material, as at 40 against the end faces of the arbor 32. At the next substation 34d,

end folds as shown at 42 are formed against the end faces of the arbor over the end tucks 40. At the final substation 34e, end folds 44 are completed over the end tucks 40 and the end folds 42.

The hollow arbor, one end of which is enclosed by the packaging material 36, is then conveyed to arborfilling station 46. At this station, the product to be pack aged, designated 48 and constituting a loose product such as powdered soap flakes or a compact product such as a piece of soap, is positioned within the hollow arbor 32. From the station 46, the arbor is conveyed to a separating station 50 wherein the arbor 32 is separated from the packaging material 36 containing the product 48 therein. Typically, the separation is completed by a pusher mechanism 51 which pushes the product 48 completely through the hollow arbor 32. As the product 48 is pushed through the arbor 32 it bears against closed end 52 of the packaging material so that the packaging material and the contained product 48 are pushed together off the arbor. From the station 50, the empty arbor 32 is conveyed as shown by arrows 54 back to the station 34 to be wrapped with the packaging material 36. The package 36 containing the product 48 is conveyed from the station 50 to package completion station 56. At the first substation 56a, end tucks designated 58:: and 58b are taken in the packaging material, leaving flaps 59a and 5%. At the substation 5612, the end fold 59a is completed, and at the final substation 560, end fold 59b is completed over the end tucks 58 to complete the package which is then conveyed away for further handling.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown in diagrammatic form one representative technique for receiving wrapped arbors as in FIG. 2 from the wrapping station 34 and filling the arbors with the product to be packaged. The arbor filling station is designated 46 as in FIG. 2 and comprises a series of seven substations 46a-46g disposed in a semicircle. For its circular course, the arbor 32 may be held by any convenient holding means 60. It will be noted from FIG. 2 that the packaging material 36 does not extend completely about the side and end faces of the arbor 32, thereby leaving an accessible portion of the arbor designated 39 in FIG. 2 (see substation 34b). This portion of the arbor is free to have aifixed thereto the arbor holding means 60 which, in the case of an arbor of steel, for example, may be a magnetic holder. Of course any form of mechanical holding means will suffice. The arbor holding means afiixed to the arbor 32 then conveys the arbor through the station 46 wherein the arbor is filled. For this purpose, the arbor holding means 60 may be attached to the periphery of a continuously rotating wheel, for example, so that arbors are conveyed from the station 46 to the separating station 50. As explained in connection with FIG. 2, the arbor 32 is separated from the wrapper 36 containing the product 48 at the station 50. This is typically accomplished by a pusher such as that designated 51 in FIG. 2. The empty arbor 32, still held by the arbor holding means 60, is conveyed along a circular course to be returned to the wrapping station 34. Following separation at the station 50, the empty arbor may be disengaged from the arbor holding means 60 at any position along its circular path within the region designated 64. The package 36 with the product 48 is completed at the package completion station 56. As described above in connection with FIG. 2, at the substation 56a, end tucks 58a and 58b are made. At the substation 5612, one end fold 59a is made over the end tucks 58. The final end fold 59b overlying the fold 59a and the tucks 58 is made at the substation 560. From this station, the completed package is conveyed away for further handling.

In the arrangements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the wrapping operations and the product filling operations are all completed by conventional apparatus which has not been shown to simplify the explanation of the invention. Further, the accumulation of unfilled, filled and package-wrapped arbors as described above has not been shown in these figures.

FIGS. 4-8

The details of a system in accordance with the invention showing the filling of arbors with a product to be packaged and the accumulation both of unfilled and filled arbors are shown in FIGS. 4-8. The specific system set forth is directed to the packagin of cigarettes, but of course this is simply representative.

Arbor filling Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, and particularly to FIG. 5, cigarettes 66 from a cigarette-making machine (not shown) are conveyed to a hopper 68 on a catcher belt 70. The belt 70 is driven by a motor (not shown) typically controlled by the cigarette-making machine to supply cigarettes to the hopper as they are made. Within the hopper, the cigarettes are slowly agitated by rollers 74 typically driven by motor 72. The agitation is for the purpose of keeping the cigarettes moving downwardly and preventing bridging. The hopper 68 includes a hopper sensor 76 which may be formed from a feeler 78 coupled to a switch 80, for example. When cigarettes in the hopper attain the level shown by line 82, the feeler 78 is moved to actuate the switch 80. For example, the switch 80 may be a normally open switch which is closed upon actuation by the feeler 78 to supply potential from a voltage source (not shown) to output terminal 83. The hopper sensor 76 is typically connected to the cigarette-making machine to cause the machine to stop making cigarettes when the hopper 68 is sufficiently filled with cigarettes to actuate the switch 80. Thus the cigarette-making machine only makes cigarettes whenever the cigarette level in the hopper 68 is beneath the level of line 82.

The lower portion of the hopper 68 is formed with an extension 84 containing vanes 86 and 88 therein. These vanes divide the extension 84 into three compartments 90a, 90b and 90c. These three compartments provide three discrete rows of cigarettes as shown in the figure. The number of rows of cigarettes is arbitrary; the number of rows is the same as the number of rows in a completed package of cigarettes. The middle compartment 90b is provided with a projection 92 at the bottom thereof to displace all cigarettes in that row slightly upwardly with respect to the cigarettes in the outside compartments 90a and 90c. This displacement is for the ultimate transfer of seven cigarettes from each of the two outside compartments 90a and 900 and only six cigarettes from the middle compartment 90b, to provide for a transfer of twenty cigarettes altogether, the customary number in a package of cigarettes. Again, this is an arbitrary expedient.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cigarettes in the bottom of the hopper extension 84 are adapted to be transferred to a vertically reciprocating compressor pocket 94. Thi compressor pocket is reciprocated by a drive motor 96 coupled to the pocket 94 by linkage 97 and 98. The compressor pocket 94 is typically mounted in a frame 100 which is guided vertically by guide rods 102 and 104. When the compressor pocket 94 is in an upper position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 4, it is positioned adjacent a tapered mouthpiece 108 which guides the cigarettes from the hopper extension 84 into the pocket 94. The cigarettes are driven into the pocket 94 by a pocket plunger 110 hown in detail in FIG. 4a. The pocket plunger is formed with three vanes 110a, 11Gb and 1100 extending outwardly from a plate 112. The vanes 110a, b and c are adapted to pass respectively through the compartments 90a, b and c in the hopper extension 84 so as to push the cigarettes out of the hopper extension and through the mouthpiece 108 ino the compressor pocket 94. The vane 1101) is shorter than the vanes 110a and 110a (by about one half the diameter of a cigarette on the top and on the bottom of the vane) so as to clear the projection 92 in the hopper extension and to engage only six cigarettes as compared with seven cigarettes as engaged by each of the vanes 110a and 1100. The pocket plunger 110 is driven by drive motor 96 coupled to the plunger plate 112 by linkage 115 and 116.

After the cigarettes have been transferred by the pocket plunger 110 to the compressor pocket 94, the compressor pocket is lowered by the drive motor 96 to a lower position as shown in full lines in FIG. 4. In this position, a link 120 (FIG. attached to vane structure 122 which comprises the compressor pocket is actuated by striking a contact member 124. The vane structure of the compressor pocket is actuated to compress the cigarettes Within the pocket so that they may be more easily transferred from the pocket to an empty arbor 126 shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the empty arbor 126 is positioned within an arbor chute 128. The arbor when in this position actuates a primary arbor sensor 130 formed from a feeler 132 that actuates a switch 134. The empty arbor is retained against a mouthpiece 136 by an arbor holder 138 that is moved to bear against the arbor. Cigarettes within the compressor pocket 94 are pushed out of the pocket and through the mouthpiece 136 into the empty arbor 126 by an arbor plunger 142 that is operated by the drive motor 96 through linkage 143 and 144. The plunger 142 is reciprocated when the reciprocating compressor pocket 94 is in its lower position shown.

After the arbor 126 has been filled with cigarettes, the arbor holder 138, driven by drive motor 96 through linkage 145 and 147, moves away from the cigarettefilled arbor 126 to permit the arbor to be dropped from the arbor chute 128 onto a conveyor 146. The mechanism for dropping the arbor is shown in FIG. 6 and comprises a bell-crank lever 148 pivoted about an axis 150. The lever 148 is normally in the position shown in FIG. 6 in which its lower end 152 extends partially across the lower opening of the arbor chute 128 to retain the arbor 126 within the chute. The lever is coupled to a primary arbor release solenoid 154 which, when energized, pivots the lever so that its lower end 152 is withdrawn permitting the cigarette-filled arbor 126 to fall onto the conveyor 146. .When the link is so pivoted, its upper end 156 passes into the chute 128 through an opening 158 so as to prevent any arbors above that just dropped from also dropping onto the conveyor 146.

At about the same time that the cigarette-filled arbor 126 is being dropped from the chute 128 onto the conveyor 146, the drive motor 96 causes the compressor pocket 94 to be moved to its upper position again to receive cigarettes from the hopper extension 84 and to go through another cycle of operation to transfer cigarettes from the pocket to another empty arbor supplied to the chute 128. The movements of the compressor pocket 94, the pocket plunger 110, the arbor plunger 142, and the arbor holder 138 are all timed together by conventional cam mechanisms (not shown) in the drive motor 96 so that they occur in proper sequence. The primary arbor sensor controls the operation of the drive motor 96 through a control circuit shown in FIG. 8 so that the drive motor is halted, preventing the arbor plunger 142 and the arbor holder 138 from being actuated unless an empty arbor is in the bottom of the chute 128. For the purpose of control, the drive motor 96 operates cam operated switches coupled to the motor by linkage 157, so that a series of pulse signals is generated once during each machine cycle at terminals t through 12,. The pulse signals are employed in the circuit of FIG. 8. One of the pulse signals (at the terminal I is employed to energize the primary arbor release solenoid 154.

Filled arbor transfer to wrapper The conveyor 146 is driven by a motor 160 and conveys the arbor filled with cigarettes, which is tipped over onto one of its wide sides as it strikes the moving conveyor, to the right with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7. Referring to FIG. 7, it will be noted that the conveyor 146, advantageously formed from spaced belts 146a and 14612, conveys the arbor 126 to the right until the arbor strikes a filled arbor latch 162. This latch is formed from a plate 164 positioned at least partially across the conveyor 146 and which is coupled to an arm 166 that pivots about an axis 168. The arm is lightly biased by a spring 170 so that a projection 172 on the arm bears against a crosspiece 174 attached to a pusher rod 176. The pusher rod 176 is terminated by a filled arbor pusher 178 which is an Lshaped plate that serves to push the cigarette-filled arbor 126 from the conveyor 146 onto a conveyor 180 that leads to a wrapping machine (not shown). The pusher 178 is driven by a filled arbor pusher drive 182 which may be a constantly reciprocating drive that operates against the rod 176 through a strain relief 183. In other words, if the rod 176 is prevented from moving outwardly by the projection 172 bearing against the crosspiece 174, movement of the reciprocating drive 182 will be taken up in the strain relief. The crosspiece 174 is also retained against outward movement 'by a latch 184 pivoted about an axis 186 and operated by a filled arbor pusher solenoid 188. The solenoid 188 is adapted to be energized to pull the latch 184 away from the crosspiece 174 when the wrapping machine is in operation. Consequently, when an arbor 126 filled with cigarettes strikes the latch plate 164 at the end of the conveyor 146, pivoting the arm 166 and swinging the projection 172 away from the crosspiece 174, the rod 176 is free to move outwardly as driven by the pusher drive 182 to push the cigarette-filled ar-bor onto the conveyor 180. It should be noted that the crosspiece 174 is provided with extensions 190 and 192 which bear against the projection 172 and latch 184 respectively so as to retain the projection and the latch outwardly while the pusher 178 is reciprocating.

Filled arbor accumulation Provision is made to store cigarette-filled arbors in the event that the wrapping machine is out of operation. Assume that the wrapping machine is inoperative and that the filled arbor pusher solenoid 188 is not energized so that it assumes the position shown in FIG. 7 preventing movement of the pusher 178 outwardly and preventing the transfer of cigarette-filled arbors to the conveyor 180. As a result, cigarette-filled arbors accumulate on the conveyor 146 until they fill the conveyor to the extent shown in FIG. 6. In this condition, a plurality of conveyor arbor sensors 194, e.g., switches 194a, 1941; and 194s actuated by feelers 196a, 1961) and 1960 detect the accumulation of arbors on the conveyor. When all the sensors have been actuated, indicating the presence of a cigarette-filled arbor designated 198 under a filled arbor accumulator 200, a filled arbor accumulator elevator solenoid 202 is energized. The solenoid is coupled to a latch 204 pivoted about an axis 206. The latch in the position shown in FIG. 6 bears against a crosspiece 208 forming a portion of a rod 210 that is driven by a filled arbor accumulator elevator drive 212. The drive 212 may be coupled to the rod 210 through a strain relief 213 so that the drive may continuously reciprocate even though the latch 204 prevents upward movement of the rod 210. The rod 210 is terminated in an L-shaped plate 214 which is shown in FIG. 7 as being capable of passing between the conveyor belts 146a and 146b. The crosspiece 208 on the rod 210 is also retained against upward movement by a latch 216 connected by an arm 218 to the arm- 166 connected to the filled arbor latch 162. When the latch 162 is pivoted by an arbor in position to be transferred to the conveyor 180, the arm 218 is also moved pivoting the latch 216 away from the crosspiece 208. Hence when all the conveyor arbor sensors 194 have been actuated indicating the presence of the arbor 198 under the accumulator 200, thereby energizing the solenoid 202 and pivoting the other latch 204, the elevator drive 212 moves the rod 210 upwardly. Upward movement of this rod causes the plate 214 to push the cigarette-filled arbor 198 upwardly into the accumulator 200.

In this connection it should be noted that the accumulator walls are formed with two side plates 222a and 222b respectively formed with lower projections 224a and 22412. The side plates 222 are spring biased to the positions shown in FIG. 6. When the plate 214 pushes the arbor 198 upwardly so that it bears against the projections 224, the plates 222 pivot about ares 2221 and 222-2, causing the projections 24 to move outwardly and permitting the cigarette-filled arbor to enter the accumulator. Once the arbor has passed beyond the projections 224, each of the plates 222 pivots about its axis so that the projections once again retain the arbors within the accumulator.

The elevator solenoid 202 is controlled by the circuit of FIG. 8 so that if the wrapping machine is operating, then the solenoid will not be energized, thereby preventing cigarette-filled arbors from being pushed into the ac cumulator 200, even though there may be a backup of arbors along the conveyor 146 as shown in FIG. 6. This action is provided inasmuch as the Wrapping machine normally is able to accommodate cigarette-filled arbors as fast as they are dropped onto the conveyor from the chute 128.

Provision is made to drop cigarette-filled arbors stored in the accumulator 200 onto the conveyor 146 to be transferred to the conveyor 180 to the wrapping machine. Typically, three conditions should be satisfied before arbors are dispensed from the accumulator 200, namely, the wrapping machine must be operating, the conveyor arbor sensors 194 must not be actuated, thereby indicating that the conveyor 146 is empty of aribprs except for possibly an arbor in the delivery position about to be trans ferred to the conveyor 180, and the mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 must be non-operative so that no cigarette-fi lled arbors are being supplied from the chute 128. If these conditions are met, filled arbor accumulator release solenoids 226 are energized periodically to drop cigarettefilled arbors one "at a time from the accumulator 200 onto the conveyor 146. Solenoids 226a, 22612 are coupled to side plates 222a, 2221), respectively, and when energized cause the projections #22411, 224b at the bottoms of the plates to move outwardly so as to permit the lowest cigarette-filled arbor in accumulator 200 to drop onto the conveyor 146. Concurrently, solenoids 226e, 226d are energized which are coupled respectively to pivotable arms 2280, 228d. When these latter two solenoids are energized, the arms 228 are pivoted so that end projections 230c and 230d project inwardly into the accumulator 200 and hold in place the cigarette-filled arbors above the arbor that is being dropped onto the conveyor, preventing these upper arbors from passing downwardly onto the conveyor. When the solenoids 226 are de-energized, the projections 22 1 move inwardly and retain the arbors in the accumulator 200 while the projections 230 are moved outwardly. Thus arbors are supplied one at a time to the conveyor 146 from the accumulator 200.

Arbor wrapping =It will be noted, then, that cigarette filled arbors are supplied to the wrapping machine via the conveyor 18!) either directly from the arbor-filling mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5, which fills empty arbors with cigarettes, or from cigarette-filled arbors supplied from the filled arbor accumulator 200 of FIG. 6. The wrapping machine may be any of a number of well known wrapping machines to wrap the arbors and may operate in a fashion as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, for example.

Empty arbor return Following the wrapping of the arbors and the separation of the arbors from the packages filled With the material to be packaged, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, empty arbors are returned to the mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 again to be filled with material to be packaged. The return mechanism is shown in FIG. 7 and comprises a conveyor 232 from the wrapping machine. Empty arbors are conveyed in the direction of arrow 234 and strike empty arbor latch 236 positioned at the end of the conveyor 232. The latch 236 is formed with a strike plate 238 which is contacted by an empty arbor and which is connected by arms 240 and 242 to a latch 244. The latch 244 bears against a crosspiece 246 mounted on rod 248 driven by empty ar bor pusher drive 250. The drive 250 is typically connected to the rod 248 through a strain relief 252 so that the drive may be constantly reciprocating even though the rod 248 is restrained from movement. The rod 248 is terminated in an L-shaped plate 254 which serves to push each empty arbor at the end of the conveyor 232 into the chute 128 to be dropped down into position to receive cigarettes from the reciprocating compressor pocket 94. The arm 240 of the empty arbor latch mechanism 236 is lightly spring biased by a spring 256 so that, in the absence of an empty arbor at the end of the conveyor 232, the latch 244 prevents the pusher 254 from moving outwardly. The empty arbor pusher 254 is also restrained from outward movement by another latch 2-58 controlled by an empty arbor pusher solenoid 2'60. 'Iypically, the solenoid 260 is energized once each machine cycle following the release of acigarette-filled arbor from the chute 128. Thus if the arbor fill-ing mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 is operating, and following the release of a cigarette-filled arbor from the chute 128, solenoid 260 is energized permitting the pusher plate 254 to move outwardly in the event that an empty arbor is in position at the end of the conveyor 232.

Empty arbor accumulation Provision is made to store empty arbors from the conveyor 232 in an empty arbor accumulator 262 shown in FIG. 6 in the event that the arbor filling mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 is inoperative, so that empty arbors will not then be pushed into the chute 128. As shown in FIG. 6, the conveyor 232 is formed from a pair of belts 232a and 23% spaced apart to permit an L-shaped elevator plate 264 to pass upwardly between them. The elevator plate 264 is attached to a rod 266 driven by an empty arbor accumulator elevator drive 268 through a strain relief 270. Thus the drive 268 may be constantly reciprocating, even though the rod 266 is restrained from movernent. The rod 266 has a crosspiece 272 thereon which bears against latches 274 and 276. The latch 276 is coupled to the latch 244 of FIG. 7, so that when an empty garbor reaches the end of the conveyor 232 the latch 276 is released. The remaining latch 274 is controlled by an empty arbor accumulator elevator solenoid 278 which is only energized in the event that the arbor filling mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 is inoperative. If this is the case, then, each time an empty arbor reaches the end of the conveyor 232 the elevator plate 264 'will be released so as to move upwardly, pushing the empty arbor into the accumulator 262. The rod 266 then moves downwardly to be latched against upward movement until another arbor reaches the end of the conveyor 232.

The accumulator 262 is formed in the same fashion as the accumulator 200 for storing filled arbors. Namely, the accumulator 262 is formed with side plates 280a, 28% which include lower projections 282a, 28% that project toward each other. A pair of latches 2840, 284d are also included which may project through the side pieces 280 of the accumulator but which are normally biased outwardly as shown in FIG. 6. When an empty arbor is pushed upwardly by the elevator plate 264, it bears against the projections 282a, 2821) so that the plates 280 pivot outwardly against a biasing spring (not shown) which normally retains them inwardly. As soon as the empty arbor is pushed above the projections, the projections move inwardly by the pivoting of the plates 280 to retain the arbor and all those arbors thereabove within the accumulator.

The system is arranged to provide for the selective releasing of empty arbors from the empty arbor accumulator 262 in the event that the arbor filling mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 is operative, but no empty arbors are being received via the conveyor 232. To this end, the side pieces 280 and the latches 284 are controlled by empty arbor accumulator release solenoids 286. Specifically, solenoids 286a, 286k control the plates 280a, 28% and, when energized, pivot the plates to move the projections 282a, 282k outwardly to release an empty arbor from the accumulator 262 onto the conveyor 232. At the same time, solenoids 286c, 28601 which control the latches 284c, 284d are energized to pivot the latches inwardly so as to prevent further empty arbors from dropping down onto the conveyor. Thereafter the solenoids are deenergized, and the projections 282 and latches 284 return to the positions shown in FIG. 6 ready for the release of another empty arbor onto the conveyor.

As shown in FIG. 7, there are included a primary empty arbor sensor 288 and a secondary empty arbor sensor 290. The sensor 288 is formed from a feeler 292 positioned at the end of the conveyor 232 and which is actuated by an empty arbor in position at the end of the conveyor. This fecler is connected to a switch 294. The secondary empty arbor sensor 290 includes a feeler 296 which actuates a switch 298. The primary and secondary empty arbor sensors 288 and 290 are employed to control the empty arbor accumulator release solenoids 286. In particular, the solenoids will not be energized to release an empty arbor from the accumulator 262 as long as either one of the sensors 288 and 290 detects an empty arbor on the conveyor.

Control system FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a control system for regulating the sequence of operation of the various mechanisms shown in FIGS. 4-7. Referring to FIG. 8, the cam operated switches 155 of FIG. 4 are actuated by the drive motor 96 that moves the reciprocating compressor pocket 94, the pocket plunger 110, the arbor plunger 142 and the arbor holder 138. The drive motor 96 is controlled by an AND gate 304 through a latching relay 305. The switches 155 include four output conductors designated t t to which are supplied periodic signals. Each conductor receives a signal once during a machine cycle, and the subscripts designate the time in a cycle during which the signal is received. In other words, the signals in a cycle occur in the order t t t and t The conductor t is connected to an AND gate 306 and is energized when the reciprocating pocket 94 (FIG. 4) is in its lower position, ready to transfer cigarettes to an arbor adjacent to the mouthpiece 136. The other input to the gate is received from the primary arbor sensor 130. If no arbor is present in the chute 128 (FIG. 4) in position to receive cigarettes from the reciprocating pocket 94, output conductor a is energized, enabling the gate 306 and applying a signal to an inhibit input of AND gate 304, removing the output signal from that gate. This shuts off the latching relay 305, de-energizing output conductor 305a to stop the drive motor 96, The latching relay will remain in the off position until reset by actuation of a reset lever 307. In the ofi state of the latching relay 305 when the drive motor 96 is de-energized, further operation of the mechanisms controlled by the motor are prevented.

If an arbor is present in the chute 128 in position to receive cigarettes from the pocket 94, no signal is present on the conductor 130a from the sfensor 130, the AND gate 306 remains disabled, and the gate 304 is not inhibited, thereby leaving the latching relay 305 energized in turn to energize the drive motor 96. Following the transfer of cigarettes by the arbor plunger 142 to the empty arbor, a signal is generated on conductor t which is connected to the primary arbor release solenoid 154 (FIG. 6) which releases the cigarette-filled arbor onto the conveyor 146.

A signal is next generated on the conductor which is connected to AND gate 314. This gate also has applied thereto signals from the primary and secondary empty arbor sensors 288 and 290 (FIG. 7). These sensors generate signals which are applied to the gate 314 in the event that no empty arbors are sensed by the sensors. If this is the case, the AND gate 314 will be energized applying a signal to the empty arbor accumulator release solenoids 286 (FIG. 6) to release an empty arbor from the accumulator 262 onto the conveyor 232 in position to be pushed into the chute 128. If, however, either of the arbor sensors 288 and 290 senses an arbor already in position on the conveyor, the AND gate 314 will not be energized and no empty arbor will be released from the empty arbor accumulator 262.

Next, conductor I is energized to actuate the empty arbor pusher solenoid 260 (FIG. 7). This action releases the empty arbor pusher rod 248 if an empty arbor is in position at the end of conveyor 232 (releasing latch 244), so that an empty arbor is pushed into position in the chute 128 to receive cigarettes from the compressor pocket 94.

It should be noted that the AND gate 304 which energizes the drive motor 96 through the latching relay 305 requires enabling signals from the hopper sensor 76 (FIG. 5) and an OR gate 318. This OR gate receives signals from filled arbor accumulator sensor 200' which may include a switch (not shown) associated with the accumulator 200 of FIG. 6 and actuated when the accumulator is not completely filled with arbors to provide a signal on conductor 319. The OR gate 318 is also connected to wrapper mechanism sensor 180 which may include a switch (not shown) associated with the conveyor 180 of FIG. 7, for example, and which generates a signal on conductor 321 only when the wrapper mechanism or conveyor is operative. Hence the AND gate 304 is energizd to cause the drive motor 96 to be energized only if the hopper sensor 76 senses a predetermined minimum level of cigarettes in the hopper 68 and either the filled arbor accumulator 200 is not completely filled with cigarette-filled arbors or the wrapper mechanism is operating. If these conditions are not fulfilled, the AND gate 304 will be deenergized, and the latching relay 305 will be in its ofi condition.

The wrapper mechanism sensor 180' is also connected by a conductor 320 to an AND gate 322. This conductor is energized if the wrapper mechanism is not operating. Also connected to the AND gate 322 are the conveyor arbor sensors 194 which sense an accumulation of arbors on the conveyor 146 as described above in connection with FIG. 6 When the wrapper is inoperative and an accumulation of arbors on the conveyor 146 is sensed, the AND gate 322 is energized, energizing the elevator solenoid 202 (FIG. 6) to transfer cigarette-filled arbors from the conveyor 146 into the accumulator 200.

When the wrapper mechanism is operating, a signal is generated by the sensor 180' which energizes via the conductor 321 the filled arbor pusher solenoid 188 (FIG. 7). The energized solenoid permits the arbor pusher 178 to operate whenever the latch 162 is actuated by an arbor in position to be pushed onto the conveyor 180. The signal from the sensor 180 is also applied by conductor 323 to AND gate 324. This gate also receives a signal via conductor 326 fp'pm conveyor arbor sensors 194. The conductor 326 is energized if none of the sensors is actuated by an arbor on the conveyor 146. A third input to the AND gate 324 is derived from conductor 328 which is energized when latching relay 305 is in its off state. Hence if the wrapper mechanism is operating, there are not arbors on the conveyor 146, and the arbor filling mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 is not operating to supply cigarette-filled arbors to the conveyor 146, the AND gate 324 is energized to energize a drive motor 332 which continuously drives a cam operated switch 334. This switch generates a timed signal periodically on an output conductor 336. The timed signal energizes the filled arbor accumulator release solenoids 226 as described above in connection with FIG. 6 to release cigarette-filled arbors from accumulator 200 onto the conveyor 146 for delivery to the wrapping machine. At this same time, namely, while the arbor filling mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 is non-operative, the signal on the conductor 328 energizes the empty arbor accumulator elevator solenoid 278 (FIG. 6) to cause empty arbors received from the conveyor 232 to be stored in the empty arbor accumulator 262. This action continues until the latching relay is reset by actuation of the reset lever 307.

SUMMARY There has been described an invention for the packaging of a product incorporating freely movable arbors. Such arbors, filled or unfilled with product and partially wrapped or unwrapped, may be selectively conveyed to alternate locations to provide for storage to aid in the packaging process. The invention has been disclosed in connection with representative embodiments which should not be taken to limit the invention. The invention is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for packaging a product, the combination of a plurality of releasably securable hollow arbors comprising tubes of rectangular section and each comprising four connected walls to hold a product without danger of damage to the product and to permit storage of the arbors one against another, a plurality of operating stations, one of said operating stations comprising means for filling the arbors with a product to be packaged, another of said stations comprising means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors, yet another of said stations including means for disassociating said packaging wrapper containing said product from each of said arbors, conveyor means for conveying said arbors sequentially through said stations, and accumulating means selectively operable to divert filled and unfilled arbors from their normal sequential movement through said operating stations to be stored one against another in said accumulating means.

2. In apparatus for packaging a product, the combination of a plurality of releasably securable hollow arbors comprising tubes of rectangular section and each comprising four connected walls to hold a product without danger of damage to the product and to permit storage of the arbors one against another, a plurality of operating stations, one of said operating stations comprising means for filling the arbors with a product to be packaged, another of said stations comprising means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors, yet another of said stations including means for disassociating said packaging wrapper containing said product from each of said arbors, still another of said stations including means for completing the wrapping of the packaging Wrapper about the product for each of the wrappers disassociated from the arbors so as to completely enclose said product, conveyor means for conveying said arbors sequentially through said stations, and accumulating means selectively operable to divert filled and unfilled arbors from their normal sequential movement through said operating stations to be stored one against another in said accumulating means.

3. In apparatus for packaging a product, the combination of a plurality of releasably sec'uralble hollow unfilled arbors comprising tubes of rectangular section and each comprising four connected walls to hold a product with out danger of damage to the product and to permit storage of the arbors one against another, a first operating station including means for filling the unfilled arbors with the product to be packaged, a first accumulator for accumulating unfilled arbors one against another, first conveyor means for selectively conveying unfilled arbors to one of said first operating station and said first accumulator, a second operating station including means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors filled with said product, a second accumulator for accumulating arbors filled with said product and one against another, and second conveyor means for selectively conveying arbors filled with said product from said first operating station to one of said second operating station and said second accumulator.

4. In apparatus for packaging a product, the combination of a plurality of freely movable unfilled arbors, a first operating station including means for filling the unfilled arbors with the product to be packaged, a first accumulator for accumulating unfilled arbors, first conveyor means for selectively conveying unfilled arbors to one of said first operating station and said first accumulator, a second operating station including means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors filled with said product, a second accumulator for accumulating arbors filled with said product, and second conveyor means for selectively conveying arbors filled with said product from said first operating station to one of said second operating station and said second accumulator, including first control means controlling said first conveyor means so that said first conveyor means conveys unfilled arbors to said first operating station when said first operating station is operative and at least one of the following two conditions is met:

(a) said second accumulator is not completely filled with arbors;

(b) said second operating station is operative to wrap packaging wrappers about said arbors; said first conveyor means otherwise conveying unfilled arbors to said first accumulator.

5. In apparatus for packaging a product, the combination of a plurality of freely movable unfilled arbors; a first operating station including means for filling the unfilled arbors with the product to be packaged; a first accumulator for accumulating unfilled arbors; a second operating station including means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors filled with said product; a second accumulator for accumulating arbors filled with said product; first conveyor means for conveying unfilled arbors to said first operating station when said first operating station is operative and at least one of the following two conditions is met:

(a) said second accumulator is not completely filled with arbors,

(b) said second operating station is operative to wrap packaging wrappers about said arbors;

said first conveyor means otherwise conveying unfilled arbors to said first accumulator; said first conveyor means including means responsive to an absence of unfilled arbors being conveyed to said first operating station to selectively release unfilled arbors from said first accumulator to be conveyed to said first operating station when said first operating station is operative, second conveyor means for conveying arbors filled with said product from said first operating station to said second operating station when said second operating station is operative and to said second accumulator when said second operating station is inoperative; said second conveyor means including means for releasing arbors accumulated in said second accumulator to be supplied to said second operating station when product-filled arbors are not supplied from said first operating station and said second operating station is operative.

6. In apparatus for packaging a product, the combination of a plurality of freely movable unfilled arbors; a first operating station including means for filling the unfilled arbors with the product to be packaged; a first accumulator for accumulating unfilled arbors; a second operating station including means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors filled with said product; a second accumulator for accumulating arbors filled with said product; first conveyor means for conveying unfilled arbors to said first operating station when said first operating station is operative and at least one of the following two conditions is met:

(a) said second accumulator is not completely filled with arbors;

(b) said second operating station is operative to wrap packaging wrappers about said arbors; said first conveyor means otherwise conveying unfilled arbors to said first accumulator; said first conveyor means including means responsive to an absence of unfilled arbors being conveyed to said first operating station to selectively release unfilled arbors from said first accumulator to be conveyed to said first operating station when said first operating station is operative; second conveyor means for conveying arbors filled with said product from said first operating station to said second operating station when said second operating station is operative and to said second accumulator when said second operating station is inoperative; said second conveyor means including means for releasing arbors accumulated in said second accumulator to be supplied to said second operating station when product-filled arbors are not supplied from said first operating station and said second operating station is operative; a third operating station for disassociating packaging wrappers containing said product from the corresponding arbors, said third operating station including means for applying the arbors disassociated from the packaging wrappers to said first conveyor means; third conveyor means for conveying wrapped and product-filled arbors from said second operating station to said third operating station, a fourth operating station for completing the wrapping of the packaging wrapper about the product for each of the product-filled wrappers from the third operating station so as to completely enclose said product, and fourth conveyor means for conveying product-filled wrappers from said third operating station to said fourth operating station for package completion.

7. In apparatus for packaging cigarettes, the combination of a plurality of releasably securable, hollow arbors each comprising a tube formed of connected walls and each open at both ends thereof to hold a group of cigarettes therein equal in number to those in a package to be formed and held in place by friction between cigarettes and between cigarettes and arbor walls without danger of damage to the cigarettes, an operating station including means for repeatedly compressing laterally groups of cigarettes each equal in number to those in a package to be formed and filling each of the arbors with a group of cigarettes so compressed by moving them longitudinally through one of said open arbor ends, following which operation the cigarettes in said group expand to engage the arbor walls, and conveyor means for conveying said arbors to and from said operating station.

8. In apparatus for packaging cigarettes, the combination of a plurality of releasably securable, hollow arbors each comprising a tube formed of connected walls and each of which is open at an end thereof to hold a group of cigarettes therein equal in number to those in a package to be formed and held in place by friction between cigarettes and between cigarettes and arbor walls without danger of damage to the cigarettes, a plurality of operat ing stations, one of said operating stations including means for repeatedly compressing laterally groups of cigarettes each equal in number to those in a package to be formed and filling each of the arbors with a group of cigarettes so compressed by moving them longitudinally through said open arbor end, following which operation the cigarettes in said group expand to engage the arbor walls, another of said stations including means for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of the arbors, and conveyor means for conveying said arbors to and from said operating stations.

9. In apparatus for packaging cigarettes, the combination of a plurality of releasably securable, hollow arbors each comprising a tube formed of four connected walls and each of which is open at an end thereof and rec tangular in section to hold cigarettes therein in place by friction between cigarettes and between cigarettes and arbor walls without danger of damage to the cigarettes and to permit storage of the arbors one against another, a plurality of operating stations, one of said operating stations comprising an arbor filling station for filling each of the arbors with cigarettes to be packaged through said open arbor end, another of said stations comprising an arbor wrapping station for wrapping a packaging wrapper about each of said arbors, conveying means for conveying said arbors to and from said operating stations, and accumulating means selectively operable to divert arbors from their normal movement through said operating stations to be stored one against another in said accumulating means.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said conveyor means first conveys unfilled arbors to said arbor filling station and thereafter conveys cigarette-filled arbors to said arbor wrapping station.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said accumulating means comprises first and second accumulating stations, said first accumulating station serving to selectively receive unfilled arbors normally conveyed by said conveyor means to said arbor filling station, said second accumulating station serving to selectively receive 17 cigarette-filled arbors normally conveyed by said conconveyor means to said arbor wrapping means.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said first accumulating station includes means responsive to an absence of unfilled arbors being supplied to said arbor filling station for supplying unfilled arbors to said conveyor means to be conveyed to said arbor filling station.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said second accumulating station includes means responsive to an absence of cigarette-filled arbors being conveyed to said arbor wrapping station for supplying cigarette-filled arbors to said conveyor means to be conveyed to said arbor wrapping station.

14. In cigarette-making and packaging apparatus, the combination of a cigarette-making machine including catcher belt means for discharging cigarettes, a plurality of releasably securable arbors each comprising a tube formed of connected walls and each for containing a plurality of cigarettes equal in number to those in a package to be formed, the cigarettes being held in place in an arbor by friction between cigarettes and between cigarettes and arbor walls, and arbor filling means located adjacent to said catcher belt means for taking cigarettes directly from said catcher belt means and placing them in said releasably securable arbors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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