DE19541464A1 - Cigarette making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A twin track cigarette making machine comprises two substantially horizontal shower channels 310, 312 through which tobacco is arranged to be showered onto two suction bands 316, 318 moving in converging directions in a substantially horizontal plane and presenting substantially vertical tobacco-receiving surfaces so as to form a cigarette filler stream on each of the suction bands, and including means for enclosing each of the filler streams (possibly after trimming) in a continuous wrapper web to form two parallel cigarette rods, with a hopper 314 delivering tobacco to the shower channels extending downwardly between the channels and feeding the tobacco into upwardly extending channels communicating with the horizontal shower channels (Fig. 2). Control of one truck may be independant of the control of the other. <IMAGE>

Description

Cigarette making machines have been like this for many years operated that gebil a continuous cigarette det, which is made of tobacco and / or other filler material (in hereinafter referred to simply as "tobacco") consists of a continuous paper wrapping is enveloped. This strand then becomes regular Intervals cut to separate strand lengths generate which from individual cigarette lengths or more lengths of cigarettes exist. These are common from the cigarette manufacturing machine to a filter attachment machine delivered so that the end product is a filter cigarette is.

In recent years there have been proposals to increase the Performance of a cigarette making machine, namely in such a way that the tobacco tax of the tobacco distributor is shared was so that tobacco supplied two strand-forming facilities was leading, the two parallel continuous cigarettes form strands, each of these strands in regular Spacing is cut to separate strand lengths to generate a common filter attachment machine be fed. A cigarette making machine of this Type is called a "double-strand cigarette making machine" designated.

The present invention is concerned with Improvements in such double-strand cigarettes position machines.

In one aspect, the present invention provides one Double-strand cigarette making machine with two im essential horizontal shower channels through the tobacco is shivered against two suction belts, which are in con yawning directions in a substantially horizon Valley level move and essentially vertical tobacco have receiving surfaces, and with an envelope device that each of the filler flows, possibly after a  Trimming process to produce two parallel cigarettes strands in a continuous wrapping path envelops.

Preferably the filler formed on each suction belt received by another suction belt that the Filler stream carries on its bottom and in a format device moves, which can be of conventional type and from which the filler stream is enveloped in the wrapping web becomes. Another possibility is that the conver yawning suction belts after the filler flow on them was formed to run roles, one of which is moving direction of the suction belts are made in parallel, and each Band can then be run so that it is approximate wise 90 ° before turning back to another role runs, so that the twisting of each volume has the consequence that the filler flow on a lower surface of the suction belt is carried so that the filler stream from the same band can be delivered directly to the format device, so that no further suction belt is required for each strand is.

In a preferred embodiment according to the first Aspect of the invention provides that the two showers channels are at a distance from each other and at least one Part of a distributor from the tobacco to the shower channels is delivered down between the two shower channels runs. It is also preferably provided that the tobacco, which is released by the said wedge of the distributor, is dosed at a level below the shower channels and then into two upward shower channels is delivered with the horizontal shower channels are connected, which to the former suction belts to lead. Such an arrangement, especially in the before drafted embodiment according to the drawings, is suitable for easy operator access at least some parts of the machine where the  Access is often required.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the in connection can be used with the first aspect, creates the Invention of a double-strand cigarette making machine where the control between the two tracks of the two Is separated so that each lane is independent of the other is operable, and during operation Both lanes have different control parameters on the two Lanes are created so that, if necessary, a difference Types of cigarettes produced on the two tracks can be. For the last mentioned purpose, the Filter attachment machine also as a "double track machine" be formed, instead of an arrangement in which the Cigarette sticks of the two strands are united to through the filter attachment machine on a common path to run. The two filter attachment paths can be adjacent be arranged to each other or in opposite directions from the point at which the cigarette rod lengths of the filter attachment machine are received.

Embodiments of double-strand cigarette manufacturers lation machines according to the present invention are in the attached drawings. In these shows

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view (partially cut th) of part of a cigarette manufacturing machine.

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of part of the machine shown in Fig. 1, again partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an end view of part of a modified machine as viewed from the right in Fig. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a section along the line AA in FIG. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a modification of part of the machine shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one half of another modified machine;

Fig. 7 is a section along the line BB in Fig. 6, showing both halves of the machine;

Fig. 8 is a corresponding top view of Figure 1 of a modified machine.

Fig. 9 is an end view of an assembly for transferring cigarette rods on the filter tipping.

The cigarette manufacturing machine shown in FIG. 1 has two horizontal shower channels 310 and 312 , which are formed by upper walls 310 a, 312 a and lower walls 310 b, 312 b and by side walls 310 c, 310 d, 312 c, 312 d, the center lines of the two channels are parallel and spaced such that there is a gap between the inner side walls 310d and 312d . A portion 314 of the distributor of the cigarette making machine extends downward between the shower channels as shown in FIG. 1.

Tobacco that is showered through shower channels 310 and 312 arrives at suction tapes 316 and 318 , respectively, which lie in a common horizontal plane and converge at an angle to one another such that it passes through each of channels 310 and 312 showered tobacco approaches bands 316 and 318 in a direction (or average direction) that has a significant component in the direction of movement of bands 316 , 318 . The belts 316 , 318 run around rollers 316 A, 316 B and 318 A, 318 B. Further suction belts 320 and 322 , which move at the same speed as the belts 316 , 318 and above the belts 316 , 318 (ie overhead ) are arranged, receive the filler streams from the belts 316 and 318 and carry them on their undersides in two conventional format devices (not shown), in which the filler streams are wrapped in paper wrappers to form two parallel continuous cigarette strands, which are arranged in regular intervals Distances from a common circumferential Schneidvor direction are cut while they are supported by a common support; The cigarette strands are close enough for this purpose.

Before the filler streams are transferred to the overhead tapes 320 and 322 , the filler streams formed on the converging tapes 316 , 318 are trimmed by trimmers 324 , as shown in FIG. 1. Instead or in addition, the filler streams can be trimmed while carried by the overhead belts 320 , 322 . Another possibility is to make sure that tobacco is distributed from relatively high (thick) areas to lower areas, while each filler flow is carried beyond the wall 310 d, 312 d of the corresponding shower channel to the place where it is picked up by the belt 320 , 322 arranged overhead. This arrangement can be configured as described below with reference to Fig. 6 or, more generally, in French Patent Application No. 9413327 (or British Patent Application No. 9422581.0).

The distributor, from which tobacco is metered and conveyed into the shower channels 310 , 312 , has essentially two identical parts for supplying the corresponding shower channels. Each of these parts is called a separate distributor and can be controlled separately. As shown in Fig. 1, the common part 314 , which runs down between the shower channels, is divided by a wall 314 A into channels 314 B and 314 C of the same size.

Each distributor has a tobacco reservoir 328 ( FIG. 2), from which tobacco is conveyed downwards in a metered manner, by means of three rollers 330 , 332 and 334 provided with pins, which rotate in the directions indicated in FIG. 2. The result is that tobacco conveyed from the rollers slides down an inclined wall 336 and is then transported on by a spiked roller 340 . A tobacco roll 338 is created between roller 340 and a deflector roller 342 ; the result is that roller 340 carries a metered tobacco carpet from roller 338 to a knockout roller 344 which takes the tobacco from roller 310 and horizontally along a guide surface 346 , past a perforated block 348 and below a perforated roller 350 , hurls. Air is blown up through block 348 , while at the same time the interior of roller 350 is connected to negative pressure to induce upward moving air flows through the tobacco. These air currents direct lighter tobacco particles upward into a channel 352 , while heavier particles or stems of tobacco continue to move horizontally and fall into an air classifier 354 . The arrangement in the area of the perforated block 348 and the wind sighting device 354 can be of conventional construction, for example as described in US 3,092,117 ben.

Tobacco, which is carried upward in the channel 352 , moves further into the channel 310 in this half of the machine, the channels 352 and 310 being connected by a curved channel section 356 .

The resulting position of the wind sighting device 354 allows an easy access to the machine for an operator, since it is or can be located at the extreme right end of the machine.

Tobacco is dispensed into reservoir 328 in any suitable manner. For example, FIG. 2 shows a conveyor belt 358 , from which a thick tobacco carpet 360 is conveyed into the reservoir 328 when the tobacco level in the reservoir drops below a photocell detector 362 .

It will be appreciated that the tobacco moving downward on the inclined wall 336 must also move laterally since the spiked roller 340 and all subsequent components of this half of the machine are aligned horizontally with the shower channel 310 . For this purpose, the wall 336 has guide vanes 337 , or instead it can be replaced by a series of separate, downwardly running channels through which parts of the tobacco dispensed can be conveyed downwards and laterally.

A portion of the lower wall 310 B or 312 B in the area below the rollers 330 , 332 , 334 may be designed to swing down in the event of a tobacco jam in one of the shower channels 310 , 312 to bring the tobacco onto the wall 336 to drop to help clear the jam and return the tobacco and therefore not to waste.

Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified overall configuration of the tobacco feed to each of the spiked rollers 340 . In particular, it shows diverging channels 364 and 366 through which tobacco is conveyed for the two spiked rollers 340 . These channels run from the separate channel sections 314 b and 314 c down. Each of channels 364 and 366 may be divided into a number of thinner channels, or may include vanes 368 attached to the wall 336 in FIG. 2; in example only two vanes 368 are shown in each channel; however, more are preferably provided.

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement in which not all of the tobacco which is conveyed by the distributor reaches the shower channels 310 and 312 . For example, FIG. 3 shows an arrangement in which approximately two thirds of the tobacco is fed to each roller 340 through channel 364 or 366 . The rest is conveyed through a downward channel 370 , which lies on the outside of the corresponding shower channel. Each of the channels 370 may be divided into a number of narrower channels or may have vanes that guide the tobacco in the desired manner. In Fig. 3, the channels 370 are shown narrower than the channels 314 b, 314 c; instead, they may have the same width so that channels 370 convey, for example, half of the total tobacco fed from the distributor.

The tobacco (or other material) that is conveyed through channels 370 may be different from that that is conveyed through channels 364 , 366 . For example, the following may apply: tobacco that is received by the cigarette manufacturing machine is separated into two streams, which consist of longer or shorter parts of tobacco; the longer tobacco is then conveyed through channels 364 , 366 , while the shorter tobacco is conveyed through channels 370 so that it forms the initial positions on belts 316 , 318 and is not removed by trimmers 324 and is therefore further broken. The tobacco can be separated for this purpose in the manner according to US Pat. No. 5,018,538.

Fig. 4 shows a possible cross-section along the line AA in Fig. 1. It shows the band 316 , which has a vertical surface on which tobacco showered through the channel 310 has collected to form a filler stream 372 . When transferred to the overhead belt 320 , the cross section of the filler flow 372 changes to the cross section represented by line 374. Because the tobacco stream 372 formed on belt 316 is relatively thin (measured in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the belt), it is possible to distribute tobacco from relatively high sections (measured in the horizontal direction) to areas that are relatively thin, such as This will be described below with reference to Figure 6, namely the fact that air is induced along the tobacco stream 372 and in the same direction, this distribution arrangement can make the trimmer 324 adjacent to the bands 316 and 318 unnecessary;.. trimmer may be held which are assigned to the tobacco streams while they are carried by the overhead suction belts 320 and 322 .

In order to achieve a sufficient degree of tobacco distribution, the width of the filler stream 372 on the belt 316 is preferably at least three times and more preferably at least four times as large as the depth of the filler stream (e.g. 18mm or approximately 4mm).

In addition, in the transfer from belt 316 to belt 320 and due to the change in cross-section resulting from the width of the belts and the positions of the side rails (not shown) that define the sides of the tobacco, the tobacco is reoriented; this should improve the filling power of the tobacco in the finished cigarettes, as is described in US 5,370,136.

As previously mentioned, each of the distributors that supply tobacco to form the two cigarette strands is preferably controlled independently. For this purpose, there is preferably independent control (as between the two distributors) of the initial conveyance provided by conveyors 358 , of each group of feed rollers 330 , 332 , 334 and also of the speed of each spiked roller 340 which determines the throughput with which the tobacco is dispensed in the appropriate shower channel. Each distributor therefore works as if it were an independent single-strand machine. This allows the throughput to be optimized depending on, for example, a signal representing the throughput with which the tobacco is removed from the trimmer for the corresponding web depending on the usual strand weight scanner device (usually a nuclear device) in order to do this To generate target cigarette rod weight per unit length. It should also be pointed out that different tobacco mixtures can be introduced into the two distributors in order to produce different cigarettes. If, in addition, only one strand is to be operated at a certain time, this can be done easily.

Various of the drives in each strand are presented preferably from independent, electronically controlled motors educated.

Fig. 5 shows a possible modification by which a band 376 (corresponding to the band 316 ) is guided around a guide part 378 of a relatively large radius instead of around the roller 216 b. A similar arrangement is used in place of band 318 . Vacuum applied through the guide member 378 (as arranged by the arrows) has a tendency to hold the cigarette filler flow against the belt against centrifugal forces, but allows outer tobacco particles in thicker areas of the filler flow through air passing between parallel vanes 380 is let in faster than the filler flow as a whole is carried forward. After the belt 376 has passed around the guide member 378 , the belt 376 (in the area 382 ) moves in a direction parallel to the overhead belt (not shown) and parallel to the blades ( 380 ) before being wound around a roll ( not shown) runs around. As the belt moves parallel to the upper belt, the tobacco carried forward by the air streams admitted between the blades tends to settle in flatter areas of the tobacco filler stream, resulting in the distribution effect described above before all of it Filler flow released by belt 376 and then pulled up onto the belt located overhead.

Vacuum can be applied to the belt 376 in such a way that the tobacco is progressively released from the belt 376 as it is transferred to the belt located overhead, starting with the tobacco closest to the belt located overhead.

Each overhead belt can be evenly spaced dete areas of higher porosity, so that the tobacco by negative pressure on these areas, according to the end cut the cigarette that is sucked into a larger one Density than anywhere else.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of half of another embodiment of the machine. In this embodiment, tobacco is showered substantially horizontally through a shower channel 200 to form a wide but flat filler stream on a suction belt 202 which runs around rollers 204 and 206 which have substantially vertical axes of rotation. The machine may have a distribution area 208 (as in the above-mentioned patent application) in which vacuum induced air streams flow between inclined blades 208 and cause air streams to move along the filler stream on belt 202 and in the same direction; this tends to distribute tobacco from relatively high areas in the filler stream to lower areas. The filler stream is then transferred to a narrow overhead suction belt 210 which carries the filler stream onto the wrapper web (not shown). While the filler stream is carried by the belt 210 , the filler stream can be trimmed.

FIG. 7 shows the change in the cross section of the filler flow in the area of the transfer from the band 202 to the band 210 . As shown in Fig. 7, the band 202 is Lich respect of its cross section in the vertical direction aligned, and it carries a wide but narrow filler current 212th This changes into a narrower but deeper filler flow on the belt 210 , of which an approximate outline 214 is shown.

FIG. 7 also shows a second belt 216 for forming a filler stream 218 , which is transferred to a second belt 220 arranged overhead to form a second cigarette rod parallel to the first cigarette rod. The arrangement provided for this purpose would essentially be a mirror image of the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 in plan view.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a machine, which is partially similar to that shown in Fig. 1, the same reference numerals are used for identical parts. In this embodiment, each of the suction belts 316 'and 318 ' carries the corresponding filler flow further over the roller 316 b, 318 b and then twists by 90 ° in order to finally carry the filler flow to a lower surface of the belt. The belts run then around rollers with a horizontal axis of rotation 319 before they return to the rollers 316 a, 318 a. Thus, the belts 316 ′, 318 ′ can deposit the filler streams directly onto wrapping webs (not shown) in the region of the roller centered on the axis 319 to form two parallel cigarette strands moving in the direction of the parallel arrows as shown.

The transfer of cigarette rod lengths (or double cigarette lengths) from each of the tracks can be done in the manner shown in FIG. 9.

The cigarette strands 400 and 402 produced by the two tracks of the machine are received by a grooved drum 404 and 406, respectively. Each grooved drum is associated with an accelerator cam 408 , which has vacuum openings for accelerating each rod in succession and at the same time deflects each rod upwards by means of a cam effect. The grooved drums 404 and 406 rotate in opposite directions and transfer the bars to other grooved drums 410 and 412 . The drum 410 in turn transfers the rods that arrive on it to the drum 412 , and the rods are then all taken up by another grooved drum 414 , which forms part of the filter attachment machine.

This arrangement can be used for a single-track filter attachment machine or instead for a double-track filter attachment machine. In the first embodiment, the grooves of drums 404 and 410 are arranged and timed to dispense rods 400 in grooves between rods 402 already on drum 412 ; For this purpose, the two accelerator cams 408 can be arranged adjacent to one another. The other possibility of a double track filter attachment machine is that the positions of the two cams 406 are displaced in the direction of the axes of the rods 400 and 402 , so that the rods are delivered to the drums 404 and 406 in such a way that their center lines are in different vertical however, there are parallel planes which form the planes of the corresponding separate paths of the filter attachment machine; for this purpose drum 412 (as well as drum 414 ) would be at least twice as long as each of drums 404 , 406 and 410 , and drums 404 and 410 would be centered in the corresponding plane that is offset from drum 406 is.

Claims (18)

1. Double-strand cigarette manufacturing machine with two substantially horizontal shower channels ( 310 , 312 ) through which tobacco is showered against two suction belts ( 316 , 318 ; 202 , 216 ; 316 ', 318 '; 376 ), which converge in the directions in move a substantially horizontal plane and have substantially vertical, tobacco-receiving surfaces, and with a wrapping device that wraps each of the filler streams, if necessary after a trimming process, to produce two parallel cigarette strands in a continuous wrapping path. 2. Cigarette manufacturing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the filler stream ( 372 ; 212 , 218 ), which is formed on each suction belt ( 316 , 318 ; 202 , 216 ; 316 ', 318 '; 376 ), from a further suction belt ( 320 , 322 ; 210 , 220 ) is recorded, which carries the filler stream on its underside and moves it into a strand-forming device, from which the filler stream is enveloped in the wrapping web. 3. Cigarette making machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two shower channels ( 310 , 312 ) are spaced apart and at least a part ( 314 ) of a distributor, from which tobacco is released to the shower channels, down between the two Shower channels run. 4. Cigarette making machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the tobacco, which is released through the said part ( 314 ) of the distributor, metered at a level below the shower channels and then released into two upward shower channels ( 352 ), the are connected to the horizontal shower channels ( 310 , 312 ) which lead to the first-mentioned suction belts ( 316 , 318 ). 5. Cigarette manufacturing machine according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that each of the first-mentioned suction belts ( 316 , 318 ; 202 , 216 ; 316 ', 318 '; 376 ) is designed such that it has a stream of cigarette fillers ( 372 ; 212 , 218 ), which has a much greater width than depth, forms and carries, and that each filler stream becomes deeper and less wide when transferred to the corresponding further conveyor ( 320 , 322 ; 210 , 220 ). 6. A cigarette making machine as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that means ( 380 ; 208 ) which induces an air flow along each filler stream while carried by one of the former suction belts so that tobacco moves forward and through from piles in the filler stream Vacuum is drawn against the suction belts in areas of the belt with less tobacco. 7. Cigarette making machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the width of each filler stream ( 372 ; 212 , 218 ) on the corresponding first-mentioned suction band is at least twice as large as the average depth of the filler stream. 8. Cigarette making machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the width of each filler stream at least on the corresponding first-mentioned suction belt three times the average depth of the fill lerstrom is. 9. The cigarette manufacturing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the width of each filler stream at least on the corresponding first-mentioned suction belt four times the average depth of the fill lerstrom is.   10. Cigarette making machine according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that air, which forms the air flow along each filler flow, is drawn through inclined blades ( 380 ; 208 ) or other guide means so that it is in a space adjacent to the filler flow a movement component in the direction of movement of the corresponding band occurs. 11. Cigarette manufacturing machine according to one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that each of the further suction belts ( 320 , 322 ; 210 , 220 ) has evenly spaced areas of higher porosity, so that the tobacco sucked in by vacuum to these areas, which the cigarette end sections has a greater density than anywhere else. 12. Cigarette manufacturing machine according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that each of the first-mentioned suction belts ( 376 ) moves on a curved path, which brings the two suction belts into parallel paths before the filler flows are transmitted to the further suction belts. 13. A cigarette manufacturing machine according to claim 12, characterized in that the radius of each curved path and part of the negative pressure sucked by each band as it moves on the curved path is selected so that tobacco tends to accumulate in the filler stream, to fly away under centrifugal force and that an air flow device ( 380 ) is provided which in this way carries tobacco separated from the filler flow along the filler flow in the forward direction. 14. Cigarette manufacturing machine according to claim 13, characterized in that the air flow device has blades ( 380 ) which run parallel to the parallel paths of the suction belts. 15. Cigarette manufacturing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the suction belts ( 316 ', 318 '), after the filler streams have been formed on them, runs around rollers or guides through which the directions of movement of the suction belts are made parallel, and that then each suction belt is guided so that it twists before it runs back to another roll, so that the twisting of each suction belt causes the filler flow to be carried on a lower surface of the suction belt, whereby the filler flow from the same belt directly into one Format facility can be submitted. 16. double-strand cigarette making machine, where the control between the two tracks of the two Is separated so that each lane is independent of the other is operable, and during operation different control parameters for the railways two tracks are created, so that if necessary different types of cigarettes on the two tracks can be produced. 17. Process for making cigarettes two lanes where two cigarette filler flows through it that tobacco are formed essentially horizontally Is shuddered towards two suction belts that are in converging directions in a substantially hori moving at the zonal level and essentially vertical, tobacco have receiving surfaces around a cigarette filler to form electricity at each of the suction belts. 18. The method according to claim 17, characterized records that every filler flow that occurs on the suction belts is formed, is transferred to another suction belt, which the filler flow to a strand-forming device carries, and that the cross-sectional shape of each filler stream as As a result of the transmission process becomes narrower and deeper.