Abstract:
The present invention relates to an inspection device for the quality control of rod-shaped articles, the device comprising: ⋅a drum (4) defining an outer surface (13,40) and including a plurality of seats (41), each seat (41) of the plurality adapted to receive a rod-shaped article; ⋅an inductive sensor (5) located at a seat (41) of the plurality, the inductive sensor (5) including a coil (51) defining an inner volume (50) large enough to receive therein an end of the rod-shaped article, the inductive sensor (5) being adapted to sense a characteristic of a susceptor (12) in the rod-shaped article; ⋅wherein the coil (51) includes a first semi-coil and a second semi-coil, the first semi-coil and/or the second semi-coil being movable from a first operative position where the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil are in contact to each other forming the coil (51) where current can flow to a second operative position where the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil are separated from each other and no current can flow, and vice-versa; ⋅the first semi-coil being located below the outer surface (13,40) of the drum (4) and the second semi-coil being located above the outer surface (13,40) of the drum (4); and ⋅an actuator (6) adapted to move the first semi-coil and the second semi-coil from the first operative position to the second operative position and vice-versa.
Abstract:
Apparatus for transporting rod-shaped tobacco smoke filters which contain and/or carry particles of charcoal and/or other solid particulate tobacco smoke filtering and/or flavoring material. A sender directs a series of successive filters lengthwise into a pneumatic conduit wherein the filters advance toward a receiving station. A section of the conduit has an arcuate shape and advances successive filters from a lower level to a higher level. The underside of the section has an elongated arcuate opening which is overlapped by a cover in such a way that any solid particles which became separated from the filters can be expelled into a neighboring chamber due to fluid pressure in the section as well as under the action of gravity and/or centrifugal force. Such particles are evacuated by way of an outlet at the lower end of the chamber, either by manually operated valves which control the admission of particles from the chamber into a compartment and from the compartment, or by automatically operated valves which open at close at predetermined intervals.
Abstract:
A pneumatic bar conveying apparatus in which compressed air is supplied from an air injection port towards a bar-like material in each of a plurality of holding grooves is intermittently supplied by an intermittent air supply mechanism, so that the compressed air will be shut off by a tooth-shaped section protrudingly provided between the holding grooves for a longer period than an air shut-off period. After a specific period of compressed air supply into the holding groove, the supply of the compressed air is shut off to decrease the outlet pressure of the compressed air remaining in the holding groove and the conveying pipeline, resulting in an increased pressure difference as compared with the inlet pressure of the compressed air supplied into the holding groove from the air injection port. Consequently the compressed air flows at a higher rate from the holding groove into the conveying pipeline, thus imparting a large initial flow velocity to the bar-like material in the holding groove.
Abstract:
Filter rod sections are transported sideways from a magazine containing a pile of parallel sections toward positions of alignment with the inlet of a pneumatic conveyor and are propelled into the conveyor at a transfer station where they continue to move sideways. In order to avoid damage to sections during propulsion into the conveyor, the duration of complete transfer of successive sections into the inlet is monitored in order to generate signals denoting the intervals of axial advancement of successive sections all the way into the conveyor. Such signals are compared with signals denoting those intervals of sidewise movement of sections past the transfer station during which the sections can move axially without being damaged by the stationary inlet of the conveyor. The evaluating circuit which compares the signals generates defect signals when the transfer of sections in unsatisfactory, and such defect signals are used to reestablish the possibility to advance undamaged sections into the conveyor or to expel the fragments of destroyed or partially destroyed sections from the conveyor and/or from those parts of the apparatus which supply articles to the transfer station.
Abstract:
A transport system for rod-shaped objects, according to the present invention, comprises a feeder unit for delivering the rod-shaped objects, one by one, a transport pipe connected at one end to the feeder unit, and adapted to transport the objects, a receiving unit connected to the other end of the transport pipe, a blower unit for circulating compressed air in the transport pipe, from the feeder unit toward the receiving unit, so that the objects therein are transported through the pipe, from the feeder unit to the receiving unit, by the current of compressed air; a detecting switch for detecting any jamming of the objects in a transport path, extending from the feeder unit into the receiving unit, and a pressure relief unit mounted on a part of the transport pipe near the receiving unit, whereby the compressed air is released from the transport pipe into the atmosphere, the pressure relief unit being adapted to be actuated when jamming of the objects is detected by the detecting switch.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
The invention is concerned with a pneumatic conveyance system in which rod-shaped articles such as filter rods are dispatched into a pipeline at a point of supply, pneumatically conveyed to a point of consumption, extracted from the pipeline and fed to a storage bin from which consumption takes place. In the system of the invention rods can be fed into the pipeline at two rates, one of which is higher than the expected rate of consumption and the other of which is lower. If the bin level goes too high, the second rate is applied and if the bin level drops, the first rate is applied. Thus conveyance is never completely interrupted.