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WO2000054611A1 - Ecreteur - Google Patents

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Info

Publication number
WO2000054611A1
WO2000054611A1 PCT/AU2000/000187 AU0000187W WO0054611A1 WO 2000054611 A1 WO2000054611 A1 WO 2000054611A1 AU 0000187 W AU0000187 W AU 0000187W WO 0054611 A1 WO0054611 A1 WO 0054611A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
disc
tobacco
trimming
pocket
cigarette
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/AU2000/000187
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Mike Brudar
Andrew Trofimiuk
Jason Gorander
Ron Wallace
James Mitchell
Stuart Hingley
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Philip Morris Ltd
Original Assignee
Philip Morris Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Philip Morris Ltd filed Critical Philip Morris Ltd
Priority to AU31351/00A priority Critical patent/AU3135100A/en
Publication of WO2000054611A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000054611A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24C—MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES
    • A24C5/00—Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
    • A24C5/14—Machines of the continuous-rod type
    • A24C5/18—Forming the rod
    • A24C5/1842—Trimming devices

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a trimmer device for trimming a cigarette filler stream in a cigarette making machine.
  • Cigarette making machines operate by forming a tobacco carpet suspended from a perforated suction band by vacuum. The tobacco comes from a chimney located in a suction chamber of the machine. The tobacco carpet travels towards a trimming arrangement, either to leave additional quantities of tobacco on the suction band (pocket discs arrangement) or to compress tobacco respectively and periodically increase the tobacco rod density (compression cam device) to form the cigarette end zones at regular intervals corresponding to the positions of the cigarette ends.
  • These "dense ending" additions of tobacco help to ensure that the open ends of the finished cigarettes cut from the continuous rod formed by the trimmed tobacco carpet which has been enclosed in a continuous bobbin paper are reasonably firm.
  • the pocket trimming discs arrangement described in US Patent Nos. 4,210, 159; 4,485,826; 4,276,891 and 3,089,497 contain two discs set in a common plane and have their peripheries in close proximity so as to separate retained tobacco (above the discs) from tobacco which is removed with the aid of a rotary sweeping brush.
  • This arrangement has some certain pocket/disc size limitations, mostly in terms of pocket number and its depth/length determined by the associated rotary brush sweeping away excess tobacco obliquely in relation to the direction of movement of the filler stream, so that filler stream returns to the tobacco carpet by a vacuum post-trimming device.
  • a rotating cam is used to periodically compress additional quantities of tobacco to form dense ends.
  • the concept of the compression cam is based on the difference in linear velocities in the direction of the tobacco carpet flow and cam, prior to the cam reaching its vertical position. This difference in linear velocities creates a tobacco build-up in front of the cam, which is then forced upwards, compressing the tobacco carpet to create the dense end.
  • the velocity of the cam in the direction of the tobacco carpet flow is varying through its rotation it creates a disruption to tobacco flow which not only creates the dense end but also forms voids in the tobacco carpet.
  • the extent of these voids will depend on tobacco carpet height, composition of blend, filling power of tobacco and homogeneity of blend. The situation dramatically deteriorates as the filling power of the tobacco increases to facilitate the production of low-density cigarettes.
  • a further object of the invention is to simplify the trimming assembly arrangement and reduce degradation of the trimmed off tobacco through the elimination of ancillary devices such as the cam, brush arrangements and scrapers of the prior art.
  • a still further object of the invention is to provide a trimming device that can be readily incorporated into existing cigarette making machines.
  • the present invention provides a trimming device for trimming in a scissor action a cigarette filler stream in a cigarette making machine, said trimming device including two cooperating disc assemblies arranged to rotate at equal speeds in opposite directions about laterally spaced axes, said disc assemblies making contact at an overlapping zone to trim the filler stream in a scissor like action at a first trimming level, the uppermost disc of one of said disc assemblies having a plurality of circumferentially cut-outs in its periphery which register during rotation of the disc assemblies with cooperating pockets in one of said discs of the other of said disc assemblies so as to allow additional quantities of tobacco to sequentially project through a respective aligned cut-out into a respective pocket to trap an additional quantity of tobacco in the pocket at predetermined positions along the cigarette filler stream, said other of said disc assemblies having a knife disc which cooperates with a projection on said one of said disc assemblies to trim off tobacco which does not fit within said respective pocket at a second trimming level.
  • said one of said disc assemblies includes a knife disc which cooperates with said one of said discs of the other of said disc assemblies to trim said tobacco filler stream to the first trimming level when a respective pocket has been filled with said additional quantity of tobacco. It is preferred that projection on said one of said disc assemblies has sufficient depth and angle to deflect surplus tobacco beneath said disc assemblies away from said disc assemblies.
  • said trimming device further includes a controllable, variable speed drive for said disc assemblies in order that cigarette rods can be made at any length by controlling disc speed to accelerate/decelerate so as to ensure that each dense end portion is formed at a predetermined length from the previous formed portion.
  • said projection aids the filling of the respective pocket by deflecting tobacco along its radial edge and then engages with said other knife disc forming a scissor action to trim off excess tobacco below the dense end portion thus trapping the additional portion in the pocket such that the projection protrudes into the respective pocket and applies slight lateral compression to the dense end in order to facilitate transition out of said pocket.
  • Fig. 1 is a side view of a prior art cigarette making machine
  • Fig. 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a trimming device made in accordance with the invention
  • Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 3-3 of Fig.2;
  • Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c are similar views to that of Fig. 2 showing the sequential rotation of the discs of the trimming device shown in Fig. 2;
  • Fig. 5 is graphical representation of the average tobacco filling density distribution of a single dense end in double cigarettes formed by the trimming device shown in Fig. 2;
  • Fig. 6 is a similar view to that of Fig. 2 showing a second embodiment of a trimming device made in accordance with the invention
  • Fig. 7 is graphical representation of the average tobacco filling density distribution of a double dense end in cigarettes formed by the trimming device shown in Fig. 6;
  • Fig. 8 is a similar view to that of Fig. 2 showing a third embodiment of a trimming device made in accordance with the invention.
  • Fig. 9 is graphical representation of the average tobacco filling density distribution of a double dense end in cigarettes formed by the trimming device shown in Fig. 8;
  • Fig. 1 shows schematically a typical cigarette making machinel O which creates a tobacco carpet 12 from tobacco coming from making machine chimney 14.
  • the tobacco carpet 12 is suspended underneath a perforated suction band 16 by vacuum supplied from a suction chamber 18.
  • Tobacco carpet 1 2 travels towards trimming device 20 where a consistent mass of tobacco passes above trimming discs (not shown) to maintain physical characteristics of cigarettes as uniform as practically possible.
  • the trimming device 20 is also commonly used to either leave additional quantities of tobacco on the suction band (pocket discs arrangement) or to compress tobacco respectively and periodically increasing the tobacco rod density (compression cam device) to form cigarette end zones at regular intervals corresponding to the positions of the cigarette ends.
  • the vacuum is removed at the left suction belt pulley 22, where the tobacco meets cigarette paper 24 travelling at a similar speed driven by garniture band 26.
  • the paper 24 goes through a cylindrical folding section (not shown) towards a seam adhesive applicator 28 and rod heater 30 to form a continuous cigarette rod.
  • the rod then passes through nuclear density sensing device 32 and is then cut by cut-off mechanism 34 into equal lengths.
  • the machine so far described forms part of the prior art and is commercially available from G.D. S.p.A, Korber AG or Molins Pic.
  • the present invention relates to an improved trimming device 20 to replace the trimming devices presently fitted to cigarette making machines.
  • the trimming device 20 has a trimming disc arrangement comprising a top disc assembly 40 and bottom disc assembly 42, supported on shafts 44,46 respectively, rotating in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows 48,50 (Fig. 2).
  • the direction of motion of both disc assemblies 40,42 correspond with that of the tobacco carpet central line with equal linear velocity indicated by arrow 52 as the tobacco at this point.
  • Top disc assembly 40 consists of a knife disc 54 having circumferentially opening cut outs 56,58 corresponding to dense end positions fixedly mounted to a top disc carrier 60.
  • cut outs 56,58 are of the same circumferential length and profile/shape although this may be changed.
  • Projections 62 of a suitable depth of top disc carrier 60 are matched beneath open sections of knife disc 54 and are fitted with tungsten carbide tips.
  • Knife disc 54 has a chamfer 64 to assist in the cutting action of the disc and preferably has a recess underneath to minimise friction caused by an engagement of the associated bottom disc assembly 42.
  • Bottom disc assembly 42 consists of pocket disc 66 having pocket sections 68,70 with the same symmetry as circumferentially opening cut outs 56,58 of knife disc 54, above lower knife disc 72. It is preferred that knife disc 54 and pocket disc 66 be made of tungsten carbide to enhance and assist the cutting action. Both pocket disc 66 and lower knife disc 72 are fixedly mounted to bottom disc carrier 74.
  • the two disc assemblies 40,42 form the trimming disc arrangement which cooperates at the entry end 76 with the lateral rails 78 on either side of perforated suction band 16 of the cigarette making machine. Rails 78 guide tobacco towards and through trimming device 20.
  • tobacco carpet 1 2 suspended underneath suction band 1 6 can be displaced vertically by means of a weight control device 86 acting on suction band 1 6.
  • the weight control device 86 continuously maintains cigarette rod weight by means of servo-drive motor 88 or other arrangement.
  • the weight control device 86 will move up and down from a neutral position from suction band 16 and thus control the tobacco carpet 1 2 to be presented to the sharp edges of scissor action top and bottom disc assemblies 40,42 and cut outs 56,58 and pocket sections 68,70.
  • the operation of the trimming device 20 will be described with reference to Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c which are diagrammatic representations of the three major stages through the cycle of producing a single dense end in double cigarettes.
  • Fig. 4a shows the entry phase for dense end formation when tobacco carpet 1 2 is not trimmed by knife disc 54 and pocket disc 66 but instead enters into the open sections 56 and 68 of knife disc 54 and pocket disc 66.
  • the projection 62 aids the filling of the pocket section 68 by deflecting tobacco along its radial edge and then engaging with the lower knife disc 72 to form a scissor action.
  • the scissor action will trim off excess tobacco below the dense end portion thus trapping the additional portion in the pocket section 68 as shown in Fig . 4b.
  • the projection 62 protruding into pocket section 68 will apply slight lateral compression to the dense end in order to facilitate transition out of the pocket into exit mouthpiece 82.
  • the size and length of the dense end portion can be controlled by the depth and length, respectively, of the pocket sections 68 of pocket disc 66 and length of open section 56. Fig.
  • FIG. 4c shows the exit stage as the dense end is released into exit mouthpiece 82 which acts as a channel with a wider mouth width at the upstream end, than the tobacco carpet 1 2 and then converging back to the standard rail width downstream, thus capturing the dense end exiting the open section 56 of knife disc 54 and pocket section 68 of pocket disc 66 with minimal disturbance to product flow.
  • Fig . 5 is a graphical representation showing an average tobacco filling density distribution resulting in a single dense end in double cigarettes described in Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c.
  • the height H 1 corresponds to the depth of tobacco cut by the scissors action of knife disc 54 and pocket disc 66 whereas height H2 corresponds to the scissors action of lower knife disc 72 and pocket disc 66. Thus two trimming levels will be achieved .
  • ancillary devices for tobacco removal such as the rotary brush or scraper are not required, thus it is possible to obtain differing dense end amounts along the tobacco carpet corresponding to the open and tipping ends of the cigarette rod. Examples of possible arrangements are shown in Figs. 6 and 7, where, in Fig. 6, the engaging open section 56 of knife disc 54 and pocket section 68 of pocket disc 66 varies in length to open sections 58 and pocket sections 70, maintaining the same dense end trimming level but shortening the length of tipping dense end
  • Fig . 8 shows an example where the tipping dense end has been reduced in height but not length, by the use of metal inserts 90 to raise the trimming level beneath the dense end .
  • Examples of tobacco carpet profiles for these two scenarios are given in Figs. 6 and 9, respectively Further, a combination of height and length adjustments will allow a reduction of tipping dense end amounts leading to tobacco cost savings and enhancing control over cigarette smoking characteristics and rod firmness.
  • trimming device 20 driven by an independent drive unit, such as a servo drive motor or similar means, it is possible to make a cigarette rod of any length by controlling the disc speed such that as open section 56 and pocket section 68 engage, the linear velocity of discs at the central line is equal to linear velocity of tobacco carpet 1 2 and once the open and pocket sections 56,68 disengage, the discs are accelerated/decelerated so as to ensure that the next dense end portion is formed at the specified length from the previous portion. This eliminates the need to use various disc diameters and gearing assemblies for different rod lengths.

Landscapes

  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un écrêteur (20) destiné à écrêter un courant de tabac de remplissage de cigarettes dans une machine de production de cigarettes. L'écrêteur (20) présente deux ensembles disques coopérants (40, 42) agencés pour tourner à des vitesses égales dans des sens opposés autour d'axes espacés latéralement. Les ensembles disques (40, 42) viennent en contact au niveau d'une zone de chevauchement afin d'écrêter le courant de tabac de remplissage à la manière de ciseaux. Le disque supérieur (40) présente une pluralité de découpures circonférentielles sur sa périphérie lesquelles s'alignent, pendant la rotation des ensembles disques (40, 42), sur des poches coopérantes se trouvant dans un des disques (66) de l'ensemble disque (42) de manière à permettre que des quantités additionnelles de tabac dépassent séquentiellement à travers une découpure respective alignée dans une poche respective afin de piéger une quantité supplémentaire de tabac dans la poche, au niveau de positions prédéterminées le long du courant de tabac de remplissage de cigarettes. L'ensemble disque (40) présente un disque couteau (54) et un ensemble disque (42) présente un disque couteau (72).
PCT/AU2000/000187 1999-03-12 2000-03-13 Ecreteur Ceased WO2000054611A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU31351/00A AU3135100A (en) 1999-03-12 2000-03-13 Trimming device

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPP9176A AUPP917699A0 (en) 1999-03-12 1999-03-12 Trimming device
AUPP9176 1999-03-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2000054611A1 true WO2000054611A1 (fr) 2000-09-21

Family

ID=3813375

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/AU2000/000187 Ceased WO2000054611A1 (fr) 1999-03-12 2000-03-13 Ecreteur

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AUPP917699A0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000054611A1 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1405573A3 (fr) * 2002-09-30 2004-05-26 Decouflé s.a.r.l. Egalisateur pour machine de tige de cigarette
EP1532875A1 (fr) * 2003-11-21 2005-05-25 Hauni Maschinenbau AG Patin à glissement
WO2008071903A3 (fr) * 2006-12-12 2008-11-27 British American Tobacco Co Articles à fumer et procédé et appareil pour la fabrication d'articles à fumer
WO2009016122A1 (fr) * 2007-08-01 2009-02-05 British American Tobacco Limited Procédé et appareil pour former des tiges de tabac
WO2020152460A1 (fr) * 2019-01-25 2020-07-30 British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited Appareil de fabrication d'une tige de matériau aérosolisable et procédé de fabrication d'une tige de matériau aérosolisable
CN116235988A (zh) * 2023-02-08 2023-06-09 张家口卷烟厂有限责任公司 用于解决烟支空头、虚头的劈刀盘

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3032041A (en) * 1957-01-10 1962-05-01 Decoufle Usines Tobacco-manipulating machines
GB2052242A (en) * 1980-02-11 1981-01-28 Gd Spa Trimmer device for the tobacco filler in a cigarette manufacturing machine
US4883076A (en) * 1987-11-03 1989-11-28 G.D Societa' Per Azioni Dual-rod cigarette manufacturing machine
US5143094A (en) * 1990-06-05 1992-09-01 Molins Plc Cigarette machine trimming device
EP0613623A1 (fr) * 1993-03-04 1994-09-07 Japan Tobacco Inc. Dispositif d'ébarbage du tabac pour une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes
EP0727155A1 (fr) * 1995-02-15 1996-08-21 Japan Tobacco Inc. Dispositif de contrÔle de l'écrêtage pour une machine de fabrication de cigarettes
WO1998044811A1 (fr) * 1997-04-05 1998-10-15 Molins Plc Rogneuse pour machine a cigarettes

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3032041A (en) * 1957-01-10 1962-05-01 Decoufle Usines Tobacco-manipulating machines
GB2052242A (en) * 1980-02-11 1981-01-28 Gd Spa Trimmer device for the tobacco filler in a cigarette manufacturing machine
US4883076A (en) * 1987-11-03 1989-11-28 G.D Societa' Per Azioni Dual-rod cigarette manufacturing machine
US5143094A (en) * 1990-06-05 1992-09-01 Molins Plc Cigarette machine trimming device
EP0613623A1 (fr) * 1993-03-04 1994-09-07 Japan Tobacco Inc. Dispositif d'ébarbage du tabac pour une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes
EP0727155A1 (fr) * 1995-02-15 1996-08-21 Japan Tobacco Inc. Dispositif de contrÔle de l'écrêtage pour une machine de fabrication de cigarettes
WO1998044811A1 (fr) * 1997-04-05 1998-10-15 Molins Plc Rogneuse pour machine a cigarettes

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1405573A3 (fr) * 2002-09-30 2004-05-26 Decouflé s.a.r.l. Egalisateur pour machine de tige de cigarette
EP1532875A1 (fr) * 2003-11-21 2005-05-25 Hauni Maschinenbau AG Patin à glissement
WO2008071903A3 (fr) * 2006-12-12 2008-11-27 British American Tobacco Co Articles à fumer et procédé et appareil pour la fabrication d'articles à fumer
EP2591685A1 (fr) * 2006-12-12 2013-05-15 British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited Article à fumer
US8602035B2 (en) 2006-12-12 2013-12-10 British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited Apparatus for the manufacture of smoking articles
WO2009016122A1 (fr) * 2007-08-01 2009-02-05 British American Tobacco Limited Procédé et appareil pour former des tiges de tabac
WO2020152460A1 (fr) * 2019-01-25 2020-07-30 British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited Appareil de fabrication d'une tige de matériau aérosolisable et procédé de fabrication d'une tige de matériau aérosolisable
CN116235988A (zh) * 2023-02-08 2023-06-09 张家口卷烟厂有限责任公司 用于解决烟支空头、虚头的劈刀盘

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AUPP917699A0 (en) 1999-04-15

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