A method of automatically ascertaining the average weight of cigarettes delivered from a cigarette making machine

摘要

651,981. Endless-belt conveyers. SKODA WORKS, NATIONAL CORPORATION. Feb. 21, 1948, No. 5188. Convention date, Feb. 21, 1947. [Class 78 (i)] [Also in Groups VI and XVIII] A machine for manufacturing cigarettes, of the kind having means for checking and regulating their weight, has a sampling mechanism which removes single cigarettes from a conveyer at timed intervals by seizing them by their ends and delivers them to a scale pan where they are weighed singly or in bulk, and then returns them from the pan on to the conveyer, the exchange of a cigarette or group of cigarettes on the scale pan being performed by two carriers provided with rests for one cigarette or a group of cigarettes and moving simultaneously in a mutually bound manner so that the cigarettes are at rest with respect to their supports during these movements. A square-section shaft 10, Fig. 1, which is rotated at a fixed speed has a slot 19 in which is pivoted a weight 20 arranged to swing from the full to the dotted position on rotation of the shaft through a half-revolution. Slidablymounted on this shaft are a pair of jaws 16, 17 which are operatively connected, by links 22, 23 with the weight 20 in such a manner that on continuous rotation of the shaft they intermittently close on a cigarette 2, transfer it from a belt conveyer 3 onto a rest 29 on an arm 28 and release it thereon. The arm 28, another rest arm 45, a scale pan 51 and a fixed bridge member 59 are arranged in comb relationship with one another, Figs. 4 and 5, and the arm 45 is arranged so that when pivoted its rest 46 follows the same path as that followed by the pan 51 during weighing movement, said arms 28, 45 being pivoted respectively by engagement of followers 41, 49 with cams 35, 36 rotated by shaft 10. Assuming cigarettes to be positioned on the rest 29 and scale pan 51, and the weighing operation to be completed, first the rest 46 lifts the cigarette from the pan to a position just above the position of the empty pan 51 as limited by stop 57. Rest 29 now swings over rest 46 and first its front portion 30 pushes the weighed cigarette from rest 46 to rest 47, after which the cigarette on rest 29 is transferred to rest 46. Arm 28 then swings to the right and arm 45 swings down, transferring the cigarette on rest 46 to the pan 51 in such a manner that the weight is not taken fully by the pan at first. Subsequent lowering of this arm leaves the cigarette on the pan 51 after which the cigarette on rest 47 is engaged by the bridge-piece 59 which returns it to the conveyer. In a modification, the scale pan is constructed to accommodate a plurality of singly selected cigarettes. In further modifications the weight 20 is replaced by springs or electromagnets and the arms 28 and 45 are operated by means other than cams 35, 36.