GB1093289A - Tray feed mechanism for cigarette-packaging machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1,093,289. Cigarette packaging machines. AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO. July 16, 1965 [July 30, 1964], No. 30369/65. Heading B8C. A tray feed mechanism for a cigarette packaging machine which has a feed hopper into which cigarettes are fed from trays having slidably removable bottom slats, comprises a cigarette level monitor, e.g. a photo-electric cell device, for attachment to the hopper, a uniplanar tray conveying structure situated above the hopper, and electro-pneumatically driven means whose operation is initiated by the cigarette level monitor, for positioning a full tray over the hopper, removing the bottom slat to allow cigarettes to fall from the tray into the hopper, replacing the slat into an empty tray, moving the empty tray rearwardly two index positions and then one index position rearwardly towards an exit point, while maintaining the trays at all times in an upright position and coplanar relationship. In the particular embodiment described, the full trays T 1 , T 2 , T n , are moved intermittently in the direction of the arrows T A . With a tray T 1 positioned over the hopper H, the bottom slat SS1 is withdrawn laterally in the direction SP and then forwardly in the direction ST. The previously emptied tray T e is moved laterally in the direction T c so that the slat SS1 is placed in it and is then moved rearwardly two positions to T e2 , while other empty trays T e , Te 2 are moved one position rearwardly. Limit switches ensure that each step is completed before the next is started. There is a hand lever for manual control of the steps, and a push button for by-passing the system to enable the packaging machine to run out those cigarettes remaining in the hopper.