Discharge hopper and method of discharging shaft trays filled with rod-shaped products

• Main Authors: BUDNY PIOTR, MULLER THOMAS, KNABE MICHAEL, MEIER ARND, HORN MATTHIAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.09.2008
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; CIGARETTES; CIGARS; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; SMOKERS' REQUISITES; STORING; TOBACCO; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING

A discharge hopper for a tray discharge station for serially discharging shaft trays filled with rod-shaped products includes, a conveying element for carrying away the products flowing from the shaft trays and a connecting device for coupling the shaft trays to be emptied to the conveying element. The connecting device is arranged substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the conveying element to form a channel for the product flow and includes an opening for passage of the products from the shaft tray into the channel. In the region of the connecting device there is provided a closure unit to open and close the opening. The closure device is coupled to a movable actuating element so that the closure device can be opened and closed shaft by shaft in relation to the shaft tray to be emptied.