Pusher reversing mechanism
United States Patent 1191 Honda PUSHER REVERSING MECHANISM [75] inventor: Sumio Honda, Nagareyama. Japan [73] Assignee: Tokyo Automatic Machinery Works. Ltd., Tokyo. Japan 221 Filed: Aug. 27. 1973 211 Appl. No.: 391.666  
 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant Exuminer-.leffrey V. Nase Atmrm&#39;y, Agent, or Finn-Sherman &amp; Shalloway 1 Apr. 8, 1975 l 57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for stuffing cigarettes or other articles mechanically into a packing case. which comprises a pusher supporting frame hung over revolvahle endless chains. pushers projecting erect and secured oscillatably to said supporting frame. a guide rod secured to one side portion of said supporting frame. a reversing shaft suitated upwardly of the front turning portion of said endless chains and rotating in a direction opposite to the revolution of the endless chains. a engaging groove provided in said reversing shaft and adapted to be in engagement with said guide rod. and means for maintaining the rotation of the reversing shaft and the transferring movement of the endless chains in interlocking relation; wherein the cigarettes are stuffed into the packing case by the projecting porition of the pusher when the supporting frame for the pusher changes from its forward movement to a rotating movement at the turning point of the endless chains. and simultaneously the guide rod is inserted in the engaging groove of the reversing shaft. and the pushers are reversed by the rotation of thc reversing shaft and simultaneously rotated along the endless chains.  
 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PUSHER REVERSING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a mechanism for mechanically stuffing cigarettes or other articles into a packing case.  
 2. Technical Considerations and Prior Art Various steps are required until a certain number of cigarettes are completely cased in a packing case. One of the last steps involves exerting pressure on the ciga rettes in the packing case, and pushing them into the packing case. The present invention is based on the use of a pusher mechanism which stuffs the cigarettes and then immmediately reverses to release the cigarettes from the pressed state.  
  There have been many prior techniques for mechanical casing of cigarettes and other articles. For example. U.S. Pat. No. 3,040.49l discloses a mechanism for catsing cans in which pushing force is imparted to the ends of the cans by means of a pusher mechanism. However, the pusher means does not impart uniform pressure to the ends of the individual cans. but rather exerts local pressures. This is because the pusher makes a circular motion. Since in this patent, the cans are solid and local impact may safely be applied to them. However. in the case of soft and weak articles such as cigarettes. it is desirable to exert as uniform a pressure as possible. If local striking force is imparted, the articles may break or be destroyed. In other words, it is necessary to apply a uniform pushing force to the ends of the cigarettes in packing them into a case.  
  Cigarette manufacturers have previously worked out an apparatus of roughly the following structure with a view to remedying these defects. In this apparatus. a  
 plurality of pushers are provided at certain intervals on an endless chain. The pushers have projections at their forward parts, and are adapted to push the end surfaces of cigarettes uniformly. By the rotation of the endless chain, the pushers move forwards straight. The open end of a case containing the cigarettes is situated facing the forward direction of the straight movement of the above endless chain, and the cigarettes are stuffed into the case by the projections of the pushers. Immediately then, the pushers are reversed, and detached from the packing case. The endless chain is then continuously rotated. The pusher reversing mechanism of this kind includes means for repelling the pushers as soon as they have pushed the cigarettes contained in the case. For example, a contact rod is provided in a notched portion ofa base plate on which the packing case is placed, and when the neck portion of a pusher moving straight comes into abuttment with this rod, the pusher is repelled by counteraction. This mechanism has proved successful to some extent, but when the endless belt is rotated at high speed in order to increase working efficiency, the counteraction at the time of reversing the pusher becomes too high and the reversing of the pusher tends to become difficult. Moreover. the pushers undergo impact and cannot be used for prolonged periods of time. Noises increase and the pushers vibrate markedly. Consequently, the pushers cannot be returned to the right positions.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates the elimination of the above defects. In this invention, endless chains are used to fit the pushers, &#39;but the pusher reversing mechanism has been improved to adapt it to high speed rotation. Without using the contact rod as in the conventional techniques, a guide rod is fitted to the pusher, and a reversing shaft including a checking groove is separately provided. Above the turning point of the endless chain, the above guide rod is engaged with the groove of the reversing shaft, and by the reverse rotation of the reversing shaft, the pusher is moved downwards and simultaneously reversed. This contrivance has made it possible to prevent the occurrence of impact or the damage of the pushers during high speed rotation of the endless chains.  
  An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus capable of reversing pushers without trouble, even when endless chains to which the pushers are fitted are rotated at very high speed.  
  Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which reduces the damage of the component parts and does not cause impact and noises at the time of reversing the pushers.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will he described in greater detail by reference to the following drawings in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away. of a pusher device equipped with an enforced reversing mechanism;  
  FIG. 2 is a top plan of the pusher device shown in FIG. 1;  
  FIGS. 3, 4. 5 and 6 each are a partlybroken-away side elevation showing the enforced reversing operation.  
  FIG. 7 is a side elevation in vertical section showing an enlarged part ofthe enforced reversing mechanism; and  
  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the above mechanism as a whole.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGS. I and 2, sprockets l and l are provided, and endless chains 2 and 2&#39; ate respectively hung over these sprockets in a manner to make them freely rotatable. Supporting frames 3 for pushers are fitted to the endless chains 2 and 2&#39; at predetermined intervals. A reversing shaft 5 is provided upwardly immediately before the front sprocket I. The abovedescribed structure is the gist of the present invention. The structure will be described in more detail below.  
  The endless chains 2 and 2&#39; are provided on the left and right of a machine frame. Guide rails 6 are provided along straight upper sides a of the endless chains 2 and 2&#39; outwardly of the endless chains and fixed to the machine frame. Other guide rails 7 and 7&#39; are secared to the inside of the endless chain 2. The guide rail 7 starts from the forward end of the upper portion a of the endless chain 2, goes along the upper straight line portion and via the outer periphery of the sprocket 1&#39;, reaches the straight line portion of the lower portion b, and ends halfway in the straight line portion. The guide rail 7&#39; ranges from the middle part of the forward sprocket l to the middle of the lower portion b of the endless chain 2. The guide rails 7 and 7&#39; do not exist in the upper front half of the sprocket l and the central part of the lower portion b of the endless chain 2. The pusher 4 is forcibly reversed at the upper front half of the forward sprocket 1, and is forcibly returned at the central portion of the lower portion 1) of the endless chain 2.  
  The supporting frame 3 of the pusher 4 is supported over the left and right endless chain 2 and 2&#39;, and to both ends of the supporting frame 3, holding pieces 3 having notches H are secured. When the supporting frame 3 moves straight along the upper portions a of the endless chains 2 and 2&#39;, the guide rails 6 are slidably supported in the state inserted in the notches ll of the holding pieces 3&#39;. A supporting shaft 8 to which the pusher 4 is secured is pivoted rotatably on the back surface of the supporting frame 3. To one side of the supporting shaft 8 a supporting station 9 and a guide rod are secured integrally. A checking groove 12 and a checking groove 12&#39; are provided respectively on the rear end of the lower surface of the supporting station and the upper surface of it also. These grooves are adapted to come into engagement with the guide rails 7 and 7&#39;. In order to hang the supporting frame 3 on the endless chains 2 and 2&#39;. a projection 3&#34; is provided which extends from the supporting frame 3 towards the endless chains, and the projection 3&#34; is connected with the endless chains. This is shown in FIG. 7. The pusher 4 consists of a projection which is pivotally mounted on the supporting shaft 8 rotatably, and extends forwardly in a right angled form, and has a shape such that it pushes the open end of the packing case uniformly.  
  A longitudinal engaging groove 14 having a predetermined depth at its forward end is provided on the reversing shaft already mentioned above so that the guide rod of the supporting frame 3 can be inserted in the engaging groove 14 at the right time. A gear 15 is integrally mounted axially on the rear of the reversing shaft 5 to bring this gear 15 into engagement with a gear 17 axially mounted on a main shaft 16 of the front sprocket 1, whereby the rotation of the reversing shaft 5 is interlocked with the rotating motion of the endless chain 2. The engaging groove 14 of the reversing shaft 5 becomes horizontal when the guide rod 10 of the pusher 4 reaches a point immediately before the shaft 5 so as to receive the projecting portion of the pusher 4 therein. The guide rod 10 is inserted in the engaging groove 14 to reverse the rod 10 forcibly by the counteraction of the reversing shaft 5. The engaging groove 14 is of a shape such that it permits easy incoming and outgoing of the guide rod 10.  
  in operation, when the pusher 4 moves straight along the upper parts a of the endless chains and the guide rails 6, the supporting rod 9 is checked on the guide rail 7, and the guide rod 10 is checked on the upper surface of the supporting frame. This prevents the rotation of the supporting station 9, and the pusher 4 is maintained erect at the central portion of the supporting frame 3. The pusher 4 pushes cigarettes forwardly at the forward end portion of the above straight movement to stuff them into a packing case 19, and to form a flap portion 19&#39;. in this state, a forward head 4 of the pusher 4 is inserted inside the flap portion 19&#39;, and the neck portion 4&#34; of the pusher 4 comes in the notched portion 21 of the base plate 20. At this time, the guide rod 10 of the pusher 4 comes into engagement with the engaging groove 14 of the reversing shaft 5.  
  Then, the pusher is guided by the endless chains 2 and 2, and move downwardly from the upper portion 0 towards the lower portion b along the sprocket 1. Simultaneously, the guide rod 10 is reversed gradually by the reversing shaft 5, and the forward head 4&#39; of the pusher 4 comes out of the notch 21 of the base plate 20 without touching the flap portion 19&#39; ofthe packing case l9. After the reversing of the pusher 4, the engaging groove 12&#39; of the upper surface of the supporting station 9 comes into engagement with the guide rail 7&#39;, and the pusher 4 is transferred to the lower portion b. When the supporting station 9 has come out of the guide rail 7&#39;, the guide rod 10 abuts a forcible returning cam 13, and the pusher 4 is again reversed and returned to the original state. In this state, the engaging groove 12&#39; of the lower surface of the supporting station 9 comes into engagement with the guide rail 7, and advances in this state.  
  if the center of gravity of the pusher 4 exists ahead of the supporting shaft 8, the pusher 4 returns automatically by its own weight after reversing from the sprocket l to the lower part b. in this case, it is possible to omit the guide rail 7&#39; and the cam 13.  
  According to the present invention, the guide rod integral with the pusher is engaged with the engaging groove of the reversing shaft above the forward turning side of the endless chains, thereby to reverse the guide rod forcibly by the reverse rotation of the reversing shaft and move the pusher downwardly and simultaneously reverse the pusher. Thus, the pusher is reversed assuredly at a predetermined position while drawing a predetermined locus, and does not damage the packing case as a result of touching the projected portion of the case. Impact is not exerted on the pusher, but the pusher makes a very smooth movement and is assuredly reversed. Accordingly, even when the endless chains are rotated at far higher speeds than in the conventional apparatus, the reversing action of the pusher can fully cope with the high speed rotation. In the conventional reversing mechanisms, the speed of rotation of sprockets is about 1 l0 rpm, whereas in the mechanism of the present invention, it could be as high as 300 rpm with no appreciable adverse effect on the operation.  
 What we claim is:  
  1. An apparatus for stuffing articles such as cigarettes mechanically into a packing case, which comprises:  
 at least one endless carrier means mounted to advance in one direction around a pair of turning members;  
 a pusher supporting frame mounted on said carrier means for movement therewith;  
 a pusher projecting from and rotatably mounted on said supporting frame for pushing said articles into said packing case;  
 a guide rod secured to said supporting frame for retating said pusher in a direction away from said packing case;  
 a constantly rotating reversing shaft situated adjacent to one of said turning members and rotating in a direction opposite that of said endless carrier means;  
 a groove provided in said reversing shaft for engaging said guide rod to rotate said pusher away from said packing case; and  
 means for coordinating rotation of the reversing shaft with the movement of the endless carrier to stuff the articles into the packing ease with the pusher when the supporting frame for the pusher changes direction as the carrier means advances around said turning member and as the guide rod is inserted simultaneously in the engaging groove of the reversing shaft.  
 the endless chains while the pusher supporting frame is brought into engagement with the guide rod to prevent the pusher from rotating while the pusher supporting frame is between the sprockets.  
  5. The apparatus of claim 2 further including cam means for engaging a portion of said rod means while said pusher supporting frame advances away from said packing case to rotate said rod means and thereby cause said pusher means to assume a position for subsequent engagement of the articles.