BEAD FEEDER AND BEAD FEEDING METHOD

• Main Authors: GOLDSTEIN, David, EVANS, James, D, GARTHAFFNER, Martin, T, HEIDORN, Martin, STRAIGHT, Jeremy, J, GARTHAFFNER, Travis, SCOTT, Robert, G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 16.05.2018
• Subjects: CIGARETTES; CIGARS; CONVEYING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES; MOUTHPIECES FOR CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; SMOKERS' REQUISITES; STORING; TOBACCO; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

A bead feeder for serially delivering beads to a downstream location comprises a bead supply wheel which rotates about a vertical axis. The bead supply wheel includes a bead supply bowl and a plurality of radially arranged channels below the bowl connected to rotate with the bowl. Discharge openings in the bowl are in alignment with the radially arranged channels to delivery beads to those channels, and a bead receiving pocket is positioned at the outer end of each channel. A transfer wheel picks up beads from the bead receiving pockets and transfers those beads to a delivery wheel by vacuum transfer and release. The delivery wheel serially delivers the beads to the downstream location.