Alignement method and device for a delivery hopper, especially for delivery of cigarettes.

摘要

The alignment method and device according to the invention make it possible to align a cylindrical element (13A) moving transversely relative to a stream of cylindrical elements (13) which are generally mutually parallel and to eject an element arranged in such a manner that it cannot be realigned. This problem is generally encountered in a delivery hopper (1) and especially in a cigarette delivery hopper or in a feed hopper for an automatic machine tool, or alternatively in a hopper of a machine in the foodstuffs industry, which is then blocked in the event that a transversely arranged element happens to obstruct an outlet channel (15) from the said hopper. The alignment device comprises a grid composed of regularly spaced rods (20) arranged parallel to the generally well aligned elements, the plane of the said grid being perpendicular to the flow of elements. Each of the said rods is caused to undertake an alternating rotational movement (C), the result of which is that an element appearing above one or more of the said rods is realigned by this rotational movement or is then ejected through an aperture (12A, 19A) made in one wall (12, 19) of the hopper in the event that it cannot be realigned. <IMAGE>