Conveyor system for rod-like articles

摘要

A conveyor system for rod-like articles, particularly cigarettes, includes a transfer conveyor comprising twisting endless bands arranged to convey a multiple-layer stream of articles in a direction transverse to the lengths of the articles and to twist the stream about an axis generally parallel to the conveyance direction. Also disclosed is a conveyor system in which at least one stream of substantially horizontal rod-like articles is twisted and conveyed to a junction beyond which a mutltiple-layer stream of substantially vertical articles is conveyed. The conveyor systems are particularly useful for "tip turning" filter cigarettes so that a stream on a first conveyor may be combined with a parallel stream on a second conveyor after being twisted and laterally displaced by the transfer conveyor so that the filter tip ends of both streams are on the same side.