Turnaround Device For Rod-Like Articles, In Particular Cigarettes

What is this patent about?

'351 is related to the field of cigarette manufacturing, specifically to devices that reorient cigarettes from a dual-row, filter-to-filter arrangement into a single row with all filters aligned. This addresses the need to prepare cigarettes for packaging after the double-filter cutting process, where they initially emerge in a less convenient configuration.

The underlying idea behind '351 is to use a rotating drum with two sets of cradles. One set of cradles holds cigarettes in a fixed position. The other set employs a mechanical linkage to lift, rotate by 180 degrees, and then reposition the cigarettes alongside those in the fixed cradles, effectively merging the two rows into one with uniform filter orientation.

The claims of '351 focus on a turnaround device for rod-like articles, particularly cigarettes, comprising a conveyor device operable to advance the articles in a direction transverse their axes, and a plurality of supports connected to the conveyor device and aligned along first and second parallel rows, the supports being distributed with a constant spacing or pitch which is equal for both the rows, each support being able to house a respective article, characterised by the fact that each support of the first row is fixed with respect to the conveyor device, whilst each support of the second row is connected to the conveyor device by an associated turnaround unit, each turnaround unit including first actuator means operable to impart to the associated support a reciprocating translational movement in a direction substantially transverse both a longitudinal axis of the support itself and of the direction of advance, and second actuator means operable to impart to the associated support a rotation through 180° starting from an initial position of juxtaposition with a corresponding support of the first row and about an axis, substantially parallel to the direction of translation, located at the end of the associated article facing the supports of the first row in the initial position and offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the associated support by a distance equal one quarter of the spacing or pitch.

In practice, the device uses a rotating drum. One row of cigarettes remains fixed on the drum's surface. The second row is manipulated by a cleverly designed mechanism involving a shaft, crank arms, and cam followers. As the drum rotates, the cam followers trace grooves on fixed cams, causing the shaft to both lift and rotate the cradles holding the second row of cigarettes. This coordinated movement lifts the cigarettes over the first row, rotates them 180 degrees, and places them alongside, achieving the desired single-row, uniform-orientation output.

The patent emphasizes the structural simplicity of this design compared to prior art. Instead of moving all cradles, only one set undergoes the reorientation process. The offset pivot point for the rotating cradles is also crucial, ensuring the final spacing in the single row is correct. Furthermore, the direction of rotation during the transfer is considered, with a preference for rotation opposing the drum's movement to prevent cigarettes from dislodging from their cradles.