Method and device for handling elongated articles

Abstract

A method for handling elongated articles wherein the articles are removed from a hopper, combined to form a group of articles, and supplied as a group of articles to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles in the group corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process. The articles are removed from the hopper and are transferred to a pocket of a first intermediate conveyor as part groups with layers of several articles, wherein the number of layers of articles in the pocket of the first intermediate conveyor is smaller than the number of layers of articles in the group, and the part groups are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor to a second intermediate conveyor, and several part groups are transferred together as a group from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor, which supplies the group to a packaging device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for handling elongated articles ( 10 ), in particular substantially cylindrical articles ( 10 ), preferably tampons, wherein the articles ( 10 ) are removed from a hopper ( 23 ) and are combined to form a group ( 11 ) of articles ( 10 ) and are supplied as a group ( 11 ) of articles ( 10 ) to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles ( 10 ) in the group ( 11 ) corresponds to the formation of the articles in the packaging process, wherein:
 the articles ( 10 ) are removed from the hopper ( 23 ) and in a filling station ( 45 ) are transferred to a pocket ( 34 ) of a first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) as part groups ( 39 ) with several layers of in each case several articles ( 10 );   the number of layers of articles ( 10 ) in the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is smaller than the number of layers of articles ( 10 ) in the group ( 11 );   the part groups ( 39 ) are transferred from the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) to a second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ); and   several part groups ( 39 ) are transferred together as a group ( 11 ) from the second intermediate conveyor to a removal conveyor ( 48 ) which supplies the group ( 11 ) to a packaging device ( 14 ,  15 ).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pockets ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) comprise in each case several receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ), which are preferably arranged one above another, for in each case one part group ( 39 ) with several layers of in each case several articles ( 10 );   first of all a first receiving means ( 35 ) is filled with a part group with several layers of in each case several articles ( 10 ); and   after this, the or each further receiving means ( 36 ) of the pocket ( 34 ) is filled with a corresponding part group ( 39 ) such that part groups ( 39 ) with several layers of in each case several articles ( 10 ) are arranged in each case in all the receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ) of the pocket ( 34 ).   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is moved in such a manner for filling the receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ) that by means of an immovable slide ( 32 ) first of all a first receiving means ( 35 ) is filled with a part group ( 39 ) with several layers of in each case several articles ( 10 ); and   after this, the pocket ( 34 ) is moved in such a manner corresponding to the arrangement of the receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ) of the pocket ( 34 ) with respect to one another that the or each further receiving means ( 36 ) is filled with a part group ( 39 ).   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the part groups ( 39 ), which are located in the receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ) of the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ), are transferred together into receiving means ( 42 ,  43 ) of a pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ), wherein a part group ( 39 ) is also arranged in each case in the receiving means ( 42 ,  43 ) of the pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ), and wherein the part groups ( 39 ) are preferably transferred by means of a common slider ( 40 ). 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the part groups ( 39 ), which are located in the receiving means ( 42 ,  43 ) of the pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ), are transferred during the continuous transport of the removal conveyor ( 48 ) to said removal conveyor, wherein the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) runs with the removal conveyor ( 48 ) such that the part groups ( 39 ) which are located in the receiving means ( 42 ,  43 ) of the pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) are pushed together into a pocket ( 47 ) of the removal conveyor ( 48 ), preferably by means of a slider ( 49 ) which is moved together with the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) and the removal conveyor ( 48 ). 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) comprises several pockets ( 44 ) which form a pocket group; and   the receiving means ( 42 ,  43 ) of each pocket ( 44 ) are filled one after another with part groups ( 39 ), and in that the contents of all the pockets ( 44 ) of the pocket group are transferred together to the removal conveyor ( 48 ).   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is filled in the filling station ( 45 ) with articles ( 10 ) or part groups ( 39 );   the articles ( 10 ) or part groups ( 39 ) are transferred to a pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) in the filling station ( 45 );   the pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) is moved into a transfer station ( 46 ) at a spacing from the filling station ( 45 ); and   proceeding from there, the articles ( 10 ) or part groups ( 39 ) are transferred to the removal conveyor ( 48 ) during the continuous transport of the same.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is moved between several positions in the filling station ( 45 ), wherein there are at least two positions provided in which the receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ) of the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is filled with articles ( 10 ) or part groups ( 39 ) and a third position in which the articles ( 10 ) or part groups ( 39 ) that are located in the pocket ( 34 ) are transferred to the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ). 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the articles ( 10 ) are conveyed in the direction of the hopper ( 23 ) and with their longitudinal extension pointing in the conveying direction and are transferred to a filling carousel ( 18 ) which is connected upstream of the hopper ( 23 );   the articles ( 10 ) are transferred from the filling carousel ( 18 ) to a collecting container ( 28 ) of the hopper ( 23 ) with their longitudinal extension pointing transversely with respect to the conveying direction; and   the articles ( 10 ) are supplied to the filling station ( 45 ) from the collecting container ( 28 ) via individual chutes ( 30 ) which are separated from one another by partition walls ( 31 ).   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the groups ( 11 ) are supplied from the removal conveyor ( 48 ) selectively in the direction of a device for packaging the groups ( 11 ) into a container or in the direction of a device for packaging the groups ( 11 ) into a tubular bag. 
     
     
         11 . A device for handling elongated articles ( 10 ), in particular substantially cylindrical articles ( 10 ), preferably tampons, wherein the articles ( 10 ) are removable from a hopper ( 23 ) and are combinable to form a group ( 11 ) of articles ( 10 ), and wherein the group ( 11 ) of articles ( 10 ) is suppliable to a packaging process, wherein the formation of the articles ( 10 ) in the group ( 11 ) corresponds to the formation of the articles ( 10 ) in the packaging process, comprising:
 the articles ( 10 ) are removable from the hopper ( 23 ) and in a filling station ( 45 ) are transferrable to a pocket ( 34 ) of a first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) as part groups ( 39 ) with several layers of in each case several articles ( 10 ), wherein the number of layers of articles ( 10 ) in the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is smaller than the number of layers of articles ( 10 ) in the group ( 11 );   the part groups ( 39 ) are transferrable from the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) to a second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ); and   several part groups ( 39 ) are transferrable together as a group ( 11 ) from the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) to a removal conveyor ( 48 ) which supplies the group ( 11 ) to a packaging device.   
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 11 , wherein the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is arranged in the filling station ( 45 ) on a platform ( 38 ) which is movable up and down and is movable between several positions, wherein there are at least two positions provided in which the receiving means ( 35 ,  36 ) of the pocket ( 34 ) of the first intermediate conveyor ( 33 ) is filled with articles ( 10 ) and a third position in which the articles ( 10 ) that are located in the pocket ( 34 ) are transferred to the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ). 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 a pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) is movable transversely with respect to the filling station ( 45 ) in order to move the pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) from the filling station ( 45 ) into a transfer station ( 46 ); and   the pocket ( 44 ) of the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) is movable parallel to the continuously driven removal conveyor ( 48 ) and the articles ( 10 ) or part groups ( 39 ) are transferrable from the second intermediate conveyor ( 41 ) onto the removal conveyor ( 48 ) by means of a slider ( 49 ) which circulates at the same time.   
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the articles ( 10 ) are conveyable individually in the direction of the hopper ( 23 ) and with their longitudinal extension pointing in the conveying direction and are transferrable to a filling carousel ( 18 ) which is connected upstream of the hopper ( 23 );   the articles ( 10 ), with their longitudinal extension pointing transversely with respect to the conveying direction, are transferrable from the filling carousel ( 18 ) to a collecting container ( 28 ) of the hopper ( 23 ); and   the articles ( 10 ) are suppliable to the filling station ( 45 ) from the collecting container ( 28 ) by means of individual chutes ( 30 ) which are separated from one another by partition walls ( 31 ).