Apparatus for transport and temporary storage of cigarettes or the like between producing and processing machines

摘要

Apparatus for transporting cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles from one or more makers to a packing machine has a transporting system consisting of belt conveyors and one or more ducts which advance the output of the makers into the inlet of an upright channel serving to deliver the cigarettes to the packing machine. When the output of the makers exceeds the requirements of the packing machine, the surplus is diverted from the discharge end of the transporting system into one or more variable-volume surge bins by way of a reservoir wherein the height of the cigarette stream exceeds the height of the stream in the transporting system but is less than the height of the stack or stacks of cigarettes in the surge bin or bins. The reservoir has one or more conveyors which can advance cigarettes from the transporting system into the surge bin(s) or from the surge bin(s) into the channel. The direction of movement of the conveyor or conveyors in the reservoir is determined by a sensor which rests on the topmost layer of cigarettes at the discharge end of the transporting system, and the volume of each surge bin is varied by a sensor which rests on the uppermost layer of cigarettes in the transfer zone between the reservoir and the surge bin or bins.