The present application claims the priority of commonly owned German patent application Serial No. 100 04 906.0 filed Feb. 4, 2000. The disclosure of the above-referenced German patent application, as well as that of each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to improvements in the making and processing of rod-shaped articles, Examples of articles which can be mass-produced and processed in accordance with the method and in the apparatus of the present invention are filter cigarettes and analogous rod-shaped smokers"" products wherein coaxial rod-shaped components are held together by convoluted bands or strips of adhesive-coated paper, artificial cork or the like.
Filter cigarettes are mass produced in so-called tipping machines which are designed to connect one or more plain cigarettes of unit length or multiple unit length with one or more filter mouthpieces of unit length or multiple unit length. Connections are established by adhesive-coated uniting bands which are rolled in a channel around the locations where the ends of the mouthpieces are adjacent to and normally abut the ends of the plain cigarettes. This results in the conversion of uniting bands into tubular sleeves or collars which, as a rule or in many instances, completely surround the filter mouthpieces and further surround the adjacent end portions of plain cigarettes.
Prior to entry into the channel, each uniting band extends, e.g., tangentially, from the respective group of coaxial rod-shaped constituents (one or more filter mouthpieces and one or more plain cigarettes); such tangentially extending uniting bands are converted into the aforementioned tubular sleeves in response to rolling of the respective groups in the channel which is bounded by two surfaces at least one of which moves relative to the other. Reference may be had, for example, to commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,1825,882 granted May 2, 1989 to Werner Hinz for xe2x80x9cAPPARATUS FOR ROLLING UNITING BANDS AROUND GROUPS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLESxe2x80x9d. A presently preferred apparatus for making filter cigarettes (normally filter cigarettes of double unit length) is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,008 granted Aug. 4, 1992 to Erwin Oesterling et al. for xe2x80x9cMETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FILTER CIGARETTESxe2x80x9d.
It is customary to provide the tubular envelopes of filter cigarettes and analogous rod-shaped smokers"" products with perforations, i.e., to increase the permeability of the envelopes. At the present time, such perforations are formed by directing pulsating beams of coherent corpuscular radiation against selected portions of wrapping material for plain cigarettes or filter mouthpieces, against the wrapping material which is thereupon converted into discrete uniting bands, or against the tubular wrappers of finished plain or filter cigarettes or the like. The purpose of perforations in the tubular wrappers of rod-shaped smokers"" products (such as the wrappers of mouthpieces forming part of filter cigarettes) is to admit cool atmospheric air into the column of tobacco smoke flowing from the lighted end of a filter cigarette into the mouth of the smoker. Such atmospheric air is believed to exert a desirable influence upon the nicotine and condensate in tobacco smoke. U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,670 (granted Aug. 4, 1981 to Uwe Heitmann et al. for xe2x80x9cAPPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE PERMEABILITY OF WRAPPING MATERIAL FOR ROD-SHAPED SMOKERS"" PRODUCTSxe2x80x9d) discloses certain presently preferred apparatus which employ laser beams and can be utilized to make holes in the wrappers of plain cigarettes, filter rod sections, filter cigarettes and other rod-shaped smokers"" products.
A drawback of presently known methods of and apparatus for making and processing rod-shaped products, especially rod-shaped commodities of the tobacco processing industry, is that such products are likely to be damaged (such as smudged, deformed, provided with cracks in the wrappers, provided with open seams, provided with leaks between the tobacco-containing sections and the filter mouthpieces of filter cigarettes and the like and/or otherwise affected) for a number of reasons, especially because the draping of uniting bands around the filter mouthpieces of filter cigarettes and the making of perforations in the wrappers of finished filter cigarettes or the like necessitate the transport of cigarettes through discrete rolling stations. For example, repeated rolling can or is likely or bound to cause a filter cigarette to exhibit an open seam or a soft end portion due to the escape of tobacco particles from the exposed tobacco-containing end of such smokers"" product. Such tendency to undergo damage is attributable to the mechanical stresses due to repeated rolling of filter cigarettes and the like as well as to repeated acceleration and deceleration of the rolling movement caused by frictional engagement between the external surface of the tubular wrapper of a filter cigarette (or a constituent of a filter cigarette) and the surfaces bounding the rolling channels. At least one of these surfaces must move relative to the other surface or surfaces if the filter cigarette or a rod-shaped constituent of such article is to roll in its channel.
An additional drawback of the aforedescribed conventional methods and apparatus is that the apparatus occupy a substantial amount of space in a production line which, if designed to turn out and process filter cigarettes at the presently expected rate, normally comprises a filter cigarette maker, a filter rod maker, a tipping machine which assembles plain cigarettes with filter mouthpieces, a packing machine for arrays of filter cigarettes, a cellophaning machine which provides cigarette packs with transparent outer envelopes, a carton filling machine and a carton boxing machine.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of making perforated filter cigarettes or like or analogous rod-shaped products, especially smokers"" products, which is less likely to entail damage to the products than heretofore known methods.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of shortening the intervals which are required to make and to further process, such as perforate, filter cigaretes and the like.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of assembling and processing, especially changing the permeability of, rod-shaped smokers"" products in a time- and space-saving manner.
An additional object of the instant invention is to provide a method of the above outlined character which can be practiced by resorting to relatively simple, compact and reasonably priced apparatus.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for the practice of the above outlined method.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved machine for the making of filter cigarettes and analogous rod-shaped smokers"" products.
Another object of the invention is to provide a combined filter tipping and perforating machine, especially for the mass production of filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and analogous filter-tipped rod-shaped smokers"" products.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for rolling rod-shaped articles in a filter tipping machine.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved perforating unit for use in a filter tipping machine.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide novel and improved devices for accelerating and decelerating rolling movements of rod-shaped articles in a tipping machine or the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide high-quality rod-shaped commodities, especially high-quality filter cigarettes and the like.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a filter tipping machine wherein the mechanism which assembles plain cigarettes with filter mouthpieces and the mechanism which changes the permeability of tubular wrappers of the constituents of filter cigarettes or analogous smokers"" products cooperate with each other in a novel and improved way.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved mode of installing laser-operated perforating devices for the wrappers of rod-shaped commodities in a machine wherein such commodities must be rolled for a number of different reasons.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a filter tipping machine wherein rod-shaped articles can be rolled at optimum speeds for each of a plurality of different purposes such as the application of adhesive-coated uniting bands and the making of perforations in the tubular wrapper or wrappers for one or more constituents of a filter cigarette or the like.
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a method of making smokers"" products of the type wherein a rod-shaped component (e.g., rod-like fillers of two plain cigarettes and a rod-like filler of a filter rod section of double unit length between the cigarette fillers) is surrounded by a tubular wrapper which, in turn is surrounded by a strip of paper or other suitable deformable sheet material. The improved method comprises the steps of contacting a portion of the tubular wrapper with a portion of the strip, imparting to the wrapper a multiple-interval rolling movement to thus convolute the strip around the wrapper at least during a first interval of the rolling movement, and changing the permeability of the tubular wrapper and/or of the strip, at least during a second interval which follows the first interval of rolling movement.
The smokers"" products can constitute filter cigarettes, cigars or cigarilos of n times unit length (wherein n is a natural number including one). The improved method can be practiced with particular advantage in connection with the making of filter cigarettes of double unit length wherein two plain cigarettes of unit length are coaxial with and flank a filter rod section of double unit length.
The first interval of rolling movement can immediately precede the second interval or the second interval can partially overlap the first interval.
The rolling movement can include a first-speed movement during the first interval and a second-speed movement during the second interval; the second speed can equal or exceed the first speed. The movement imparting step can include accelerating the rolling movement to the second speed in a plurality of successive stages; such successive stages can include a first stage beginning at least substantially simultaneously with the start of rolling movement and a second stage beginning at least substantially with the start of the permeability changing step. The second speed is or can be at least twice the first speed.
If the rolling movement includes a first-speed movement during the first interval and a second-speed movement during the second interval, the method can further comprise the step of reducingxe2x80x94upon completion of the permeability reducing stepxe2x80x94the speed of rolling movement from the second speed to zero speed in a single stage but preferably in a plurality of successive stages.
The permeability changing step can include perforating the (partly or fully convoluted) strip and/or the tubular wrapper.
The movement imparting step can include moving the tubular wrapper sideways along an at least substantially straight path or along an at least partly arcuate path between a plurality of surfaces at least one of which moves relative to at least one other surface.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for treating smokers"" products (e.g., filter cigarettes of double unit length) of the type wherein a rod-shaped component is surrounded by a tubular wrapper carrying a deformable strip, such as an adhesive-coated uniting band of the type utilized to sealingly connect a filter rod section of double unit length to two coaxial plain cigarettes of unit length which flank the filter rod section. The apparatus comprises a rolling unit having surfaces defining a channel and including first and second surfaces at least one of which moves relative to another surface, means for feeding into the inlet of the rolling channel successive products of a series of products having tubular wrappers each of which is contacted by the respective strip whereby the wrapers are caused to roll due to contact with the aforementioned surfaces and to thus convolute the strips about the wrappers in a first portion of the channel (namely in a portion which is adjacent the inlet of the channel), and means for changing the permeability of the wrappers during rolling at least in a second portion of the channel between the first portion and the outlet of the channel.
The means for changing the permeability of the wrappers can comprise means for perforating the strip and/or the wrapper of each of the series of products in the second portion of the channel.
The second portion of the channel is or can be immediately adjacent the first portion (as seen in the direction from the inlet toward the outlet of the channel).
The second portion of the channel can partially overlap the first portion, i.e., the perforating means can be caused to perforate the strip and/or the wrapper even before the strip is converted into a tubular sleeve which surrounds a portion of the wrapper.
The rolling unit can include a rotary drum-shaped conveyor having a peripheral surface which constitutes the aforementioned at least one surface, and a stationary rolling member having a concave surface constituting the aforementioned other surface. Such rolling member can be provided with a window which communicates with the second portion of the channel, and the permeability changing means of such apparatus can include means for perforating the strip and/or the wrapper of each of the series of products by way of the window.
The rolling unit of the improved apparatus can comprise a first endless band having an external surface constituting the aforementioned at least one surface, a second endless band having an external surface constituting the aforementioned other surface, and means for driving at least one of the endless bands. The external surfaces can be positioned in such a way that they define at least the first portion of the channel.
It is also possible to design and assemble the rolling unit in such a way that it includes an endless band having an external surface constituting a portion of or the entire at least one surface, and a stationary rolling member having a surface which constitutes the aforementioned other surface. Such endless band and the rolling member cooperate to jointly define the second portion of the channel. The rolling member of such apparatus can be provided with a window which communicates with the second portion of the channel, and the means for changing the permeability of the wrappers in such apparatus can include means for perforating the wrappers by way of the window. The band can include two spaced apart endless sections or belts and the means for changing the permeability of the wrappers can include means for perforating the wrappers by radiation being propagated along a path which extends between the spaced apart sections or belts of the band. Alternatively, the endless band can comprise three endless sections or belts; one of the sections is flanked by the other two sections and such other sections cooperate with the stationary rolling member to define the second portion of the channel. The three sections cooperate with a further band to define the first portion of the channel and the rolling unit of such apparatus can further comprise means for deflecting the one section from the channel between the first and second portions of such channel.
Still further, the rolling unit of the improved apparatus can include a first endless band which flanks the first portion of the channel and two additional bands which are spaced apart from each other and flank the second portion of the channel. The means for changing the permeability of wrappers in such apparatus can include a perforating unit which is arranged to perforate the wrappers of successive products in the second portion of the channel by way of a clearance between the additional bands. The just mentioned means for changing the permeability of the wrappers can include means for simultaneously perforating the wrappers of several sucessive products in the second portion of the channel; such successive products may but need not be immediately adjacent each other. To this end, the perforating means can comprise a source of at least two laser beams which make an acute angle selected in such a way that the laser beams impinge upon pairs of successive products in the second portion of the channel.
In accordance with one of several presently embodiments of the invention, the rolling unit includes a rotary conveyor having a peripheral surface forming part of the at least one surface, and the means for feeding successive products into the channel comprises product-receiving flutes which are provided in the peripheral surface of the rotary conveyor and are arranged to deliver successive products to the inlet of the channel. Such apparatus preferably further comprises means for expelling products from the flutes and for filling the flutes in the first and second portions of the rolling channel. The expelling means can comprise pushers which are movable in and at least substantially radially of the conveyor between retracted positions in which the respective flutes are free to receive portions of products and extended positions in which the pushers prevent entry of products into the respective flutes.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and the modes of assembling and operating the same, together with numerous additional important and advantageous features and attributes thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain presently preferred specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.