Device For Transferring Bar Shaped Articles

What is this patent about?

'779 is related to the field of transferring bar-shaped articles, specifically within the tobacco industry, where products like cigarettes and filters need to be moved and re-spaced during manufacturing. The background involves filter fitting machines that join filters to cigarettes, requiring adjustments to the spacing (pitch) of these items as they move through different stages of the process.

The underlying idea behind '779 is to use a pitch-varying device with a rotating element supporting pivoted cranks. Each crank has an arm with a housing to hold a cigarette or filter. By connecting these cranks to a second rotating element via link rods, the device can adjust the spacing between the articles as they are transferred between conveyors with different pitches.

The claims of '779 focus on a device for transferring bar-shaped articles comprising two conveyors with housings spaced at different pitches, and a link-up conveyor connecting the two conveyors. The link-up conveyor includes a first rotating element supporting pivoted cranks, each with an arm and housing for accommodating the articles, and a second rotating element rotating in the same direction and at the same angular velocity as the first, with connection means between the second rotating element and each of the pivoted cranks.

In practice, the device uses the rotation of the two elements and the connecting link rods to oscillate the cranks. This oscillation adjusts the forward velocity of the housings, matching them to the speeds of the infeed and outfeed conveyors at the transfer points. As the cranks approach the first conveyor, they rotate to decrease the forward velocity of the housings, synchronizing with the infeed. After accepting the article, the cranks rotate in the opposite direction, accelerating the housings to match the velocity of the outfeed conveyor.

This design differs from prior approaches, such as devices using oscillating rods connected to a common rotating shaft, which are deemed too complex and unsuitable for modern, high-output filter fitting machines. '779 aims to provide a simpler and more effective way to vary the pitch of articles being transferred, limiting the possibility of damage due to excessive speed. The synchronized velocity matching at the transfer points ensures smooth and reliable handoff of the articles.