Method and apparatus for pneumatically transporting rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry

摘要

The pneumatic conveyor pipe which connects an article discharging station with an article receiving station in a production line for rod-shaped smokers' products passes through the sealed housing of an article influencing unit which contains friction wheels driven at a peripheral speed which ensures acceleration or deceleration of successive axially moving articles to a selected speed. The thus influenced articles are thereupon accelerated by compressed air so that they are separated from each other by gaps of preselected minimum width to allow for unobstructed changes in the direction of movement of articles which arrive at the receiving station.