Apparatus for transferring and checking groups of smoking articles

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring and checking groups of articles includes a conveyor moving with intermittent motion to transfer the groups in respective compartments on the conveyor so the groups are moved perpendicularly to planes defined by a layer making up the groups. A checking device operates at a checking station and includes a detecting head which, during a relative movement between the detecting head and each group, checks all the articles making up the group. An actuating mechanism moves the detecting head in both directions between positions situated on opposite sides of the compartment which has stopped in the checking station and imparts to the detecting head, each time a compartment of the conveyor stops at the checking station, a translational movement such that the detecting head moves to the zone opposite to the zone where it is when the conveyor stops.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for transferring and checking groups of smoking articles, associable with a packing machine for the selfsame smoking articles, comprising a conveyor which moves with intermittent motion to transfer the groups partly housed in respective compartments, each group comprising at least one straight layer of smoking articles and the compartments being arranged in such a way that the groups of smoking articles are moved perpendicularly to the laying planes defined by the at least one layer making up the groups; there being provided a checking station where the compartments of the conveyor are brought to a stop in succession, and there being provided a checking device operating at the checking station and comprising a detecting head which, during a mutual movement between the selfsame detecting head and each group of smoking articles housed in a compartment, checks all the smoking articles making up the at least one layer of the selfsame group; characterized in that it comprises actuating means for imparting to the detecting head, immediately after each compartment stops in the checking station, a translational movement directed along a direction parallel to the laying plane defined by the at least one layer housed in the selfsame compartment and such as to cause the detecting head to pass substantially in front of the central zones of the ends of the smoking articles making up the at least one layer; the actuating means being able to move the detecting head in both directions between two positions situated on opposite sides of the compartment which has stopped in the checking station; and each time a compartment of the conveyor stops at the checking station, the actuating means imparting to the detecting head a translational movement such that the detecting head moves to the zone opposite to the zone where it is when the conveyor stops. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each compartment is able to partly house at least two straight, superposed layers of smoking articles. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the conveyor comprises a wheel which rotates stepwise about an axis; the compartments being spaced at equal angular intervals round the periphery of the wheel. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the detecting head comprises emitter-sensors in a number at least equal to the number of layers present in each group and positioned at levels substantially coincident, respectively, with those of the layers making up each group of smoking articles stopped in the checking station. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter-sensors are activated cyclically, during a translational movement of the detecting head, each time they move in front of the substantially central zone of a smoking article of a respective layer stopped in the checking station, and at each detection they send to a processing unit a respective electrical signal indicating whether the smoking article checked is acceptable or not and whether it is present or absent. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , characterized in that when at least one defective or missing smoking article is detected in a group, the processing unit activates an ejection device able to move the selfsame group away from the packing machine.