摘要:
A continuous rod-like filler which is ready for draping into a web of cigarette paper is obtained by removing the surplus of tobacco from a continuous tobacco stream which is formed at one side of a foraminous belt conveyor the other side of which is adjacent to a suction chamber serving to attract the particles of tobacco to the conveyor. The surplus is removed downstream of the zone where the particles of tobacco are delivered to the conveyor. The density of the filler is monitored subsequent to draping, and the signals which are generated by the density monitoring device are used to vary the pressure in the suction chamber, to vary the speed of a first rotary conveyor which propels particles of tobacco against the belt conveyor and/or to vary the rate of feed of tobacco particles to the belt conveyor by adjusting the speed of a second rotary conveyor which draws tobacco particles from the lower end of a duct. Each of the above adjustments is effective to change the density of the filler so that the changed density matches or more closely approximates an optimum value. The plane in which the surplus is removed from the tobacco stream is maintained at a constant distance from the belt conveyor.
摘要:
Apparatus for making and manipulating sheet-like paper, plastic or metallic blanks in a packing machine has a pivotable conveyor with a gripper which pulls the leader of a running web across the path of successive mandrels or cigarette packs on an indexible turret whereby the gripper overcomes the resistance of a mechanical or pneumatic clamping device which holds the leader of the running web in a position in which the leader can be engaged by the gripper when the conveyor completes a return stroke. The running web is severed by a pair of knives which are installed between the clamping device and the gripper and are caused to cut the web when the gripper reaches an end position in which a sufficient length of the running web is moved across the path of an oncoming mandrel or cigarette pack. A fresh web is threaded into the apparatus while the running web is being converted into a succession of blanks, and the leader of the fresh web is held at a preselected locus so that it can be moved into the range of the gripper as soon as the supply of running web is nearly exhausted. The apparatus then ceases to advance the running web and starts to advance the fresh web from the respective bobbin toward the locus where the leader of the fresh web can be engaged by the gripper. The leader of the expired web is moved out of the way not later than when the leader of the fresh web moves into the range of the gripper.
摘要:
A growing tobacco stream is formed at the underside of a foraminous belt conveyor and is transported past two trimming devices to be converted into a rod-like filler which is thereupon draped into cigarette paper and severed to yield discrete plain cigarettes which are united with filter plugs to form filter cigarettes of unit length or double unit length. The resistance of successive identical sections of the filler to axial and/or transverse flow of air therethrough is monitored, and the resulting signals are used to adjust the second trimming device when the monitored resistance deviates from a desired value. The envelopes of filter plugs on successive filter cigarettes are perforated by a laser which is adjustable by signals denoting deviations of the mass of tobacco per unit length of the filler from a preselected value, deviations of the resistance of filter plugs to axial flow of air therethrough from a preselected value and/or deviations of the permeability of cigarette paper from a preselected value. This insures that the column of gaseous fluid which enters the mouth of a smoker contains a mixture of tobacco smoke and of a predetermined quantity of cool atmospheric air.
摘要:
Apparatus which transports cigarettes from a pick-up station where the cigarettes move axially one behind the other to a delivery station where the cigarettes move sideways in one or more rows has one or more carriers which rotate about a horizontal or vertical axis and carry pick-up heads for cigarettes. The carriers are rotatable with as well as relative to a disk which is driven at a constant speed so that the heads move at a high speed during travel past the pick-up station and at a lower speed during movement past the delivery station. The mechanism for moving the carriers relative to the disk includes mating oval gears or bell crank levers which are pivotably mounted on the disk and are coupled to their carriers by means of links. The bell crank levers have followers which track a stationary cam. The carriers may constitute levers which are articulately mounted on a turret rotating in a horizontal plane in response to rotation of holder which moves the turret by means of several crank units. The upper ends of the levers are pivoted to the lower crank pins of the respective crank units and their lower ends carry the pick-up heads. Cams on the turret cause the levers to pivot toward the axis of the turret during movement toward the pick-up station and away from the axis of the turret during movement toward the delivery station. The crank units orient the heads so as to maintain each head in alignment with cigarettes at either station. Analogous orienting devices are provided for the rotating carriers.
摘要:
Apparatus for wrapping cigar bunches has a first conveyor consisting of two endless belts having filler-engaging stretches which cross each other in space and move a single file of bunches lengthwise while simultaneously rotating the bunches about their axes. One of the stretches feeds an adhesive-coated web which is convoluted around successive bunches to form a tube consisting of partially overlapping helices. The tensile strength of the tube is reduced between successive wrapped bunches by a row of needles mounted on an endless toothed belt or drum which makes with the path of the tube a first angle equal to the angle between the plane of one belt of the first conveyor and the axis of the tube. The row of needles on the toothed belt or drum makes with the plane of the toothed belt or drum a second angle which equals 90.degree. minus the first angle. This insures that the needles penetrate into the tube while moving with the tube at the speed of lengthwise movement of the bunches and while moving about the axis of the tube at the speed at which the bunches rotate about their axes. A second conveyor advances the tube lengthwise at a speed which exceeds the speed of lengthwise movement of the bunches in the first conveyor so that the tube breaks between successive wrapped bunches due to weakening of the respective portions of the tube by the needles. The second conveyor rotates the tube at the same speed at which the first conveyor rotates the bunches.
摘要:
A tobacco trimming apparatus has a conveyor which transports a stream of tobacco shreds in such a way that the surplus extends downwardly beyond the undersides of two flat disc-shaped members whose marginal portions pinch the moving stream in the region between the main portion and the surplus. Such surplus is removed by short teeth which are machined into the slightly conical peripheral surface of a disc rotating in a plane that makes an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of movement of the stream. The teeth alternate with notches which are machined in part into the peripheral surface and in part into a slightly conical front surface of the disc which latter faces the surplus. The front surface of the disc deflects the surplus into the notches so that the surplus is shifted into the path of the cutting edges on the oncoming teeth and is separated from the remainder of the tobacco stream.
摘要:
An intermittently advanced web of wrapping material is subdivided into discrete blanks which are used in a cigarette packing machine for conversion into portions of soft packs by severing the web across its leader during each interval of dwell of the web so as to separate from the web a discrete blank, and by simultaneously removing one corner at the leading edge of the freshly formed blank. This obviates the need for the provision of triangular notches in the one and/or other marginal portion of the web. Successive blanks are transferred from the severing staton by suction arms for delivery into the range of the converting mechanism.
摘要:
A testing apparatus for filter cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles has a drum-shaped conveyor with a smooth or fluted cylindrical surface and with radially inwardly extending suction slots which are connected to the intake of a fan. Each slot is disposed between two cradles which support the articles to be tested in such a way that the wrappers of the articles remain spaced apart from the periphery of the conveyor. The cradles engage the articles close to the respective ends of the articles and have small article-engaging surfaces to thus insure the detection of all or nearly all leaks during testing with a fluid medium which is introduced into the interior of a wrapper during travel past the testing station. The streams of air which flow into the slots of the conveyor hold the articles against ejection under the action of gravity and/or centrifugal force.
摘要:
Cigarette packs which leave a packing machine by moving sideways so that one of the major surfaces of each pack faces forwardly are monitored for the presence of defective envelopes during travel between two endless belt conveyors. When the monitoring system or systems detect a defective pack, such system or systems generate one or more signals which are used to expel the defective pack from the path between the conveyors. The ejection is effected by changing the orientation of defective packs relative to the conveyors so as to reduce the frictional hold of conveyors upon the relatively narrow lateral faces of the defective packs with the result that the thus released defective packs can descend by gravity. The orientation of defective packs can be changed by discrete pins which move into the path of the packs from above, from below or from one side so as to be nearer to the one than to the other conveyor. This causes the defective packs to turn about axes which are located at one side of the central longitudinal vertical symmetry plane of the path for the packs between the two conveyors. That conveyor which is more distant from the axes about which defective packs are caused to turn is flanked by two endless cord-like conveyors which are held in strong frictional engagement with the defective and satisfactory packs so that a portion of a defective pack which is being turned continues to advance with the cord-like conveyors.
摘要:
Apparatus for transporting knives, sockets, holders and analogous devices for severing, supporting, transferring and/or otherwise manipulating rod-shaped articles which constitute or form part of smokers' products has first and second disks which are rotatable about parallel axes and carry sets of levers each pivotable about an axis which is parallel to the axes of the disks. Each lever of one disk is coupled to a lever of the other disk by a crank unit one pin of which carries a tool. One of the disks is driven and transmits torque to the other disk by way of the levers and crank units whereby the crank units orbit and their pins hold the tools against any change of orientation. Stationary cams have congruent grooves for roller followers which are provided on the levers of the first and second disks, and the cam grooves are configurated in such a way that the cams can reduce or increase the absolute speed of movement of crank pins by moving the pins toward or away from the axes of the respective disks. The tools can transfer rod-shaped articles from a conveyor which transports the articles axially to a conveyor which transports the articles sideways, or vice versa. Also, the tools can constitute sockets which prop spaced-apart portions of a continuous tobacco or filter rod during severing of the rod. The severing mechanism can employ a second apparatus which is mirror symmetrical to the apparatus whose crank units support the sockets, and the tools of the second apparatus include rotary knives cooperating with successive sockets to sever the rod at desired intervals.