CA2647771A1

CA2647771A1 - Cigarette making method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA2647771A1
Application number: CA2647771A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Philippe Thiry
Original assignee: Philippe Thiry; Chumura Associates, Llc
Current assignee: CHUMURA ASSOCIATES LLC
Priority date: 2008-12-23
Filing date: 2008-12-23
Publication date: 2010-06-23
Also published as: CA2753593A1; US20110303230A1; MX2011006932A; JP2012513203A; BRPI0924179A2; EP2378902A4; EP2457452B1; WO2010071971A1; JP5564513B2; AU2009329767A1; EP2378902A1; BRPI0923633A2; EP2457452A1

Description

CIGARETTE MAKING METHOD AND APPARATUS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus, and more particularly relates to a method of fabricating cigarettes and to an apparatus for producing cigarettes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The manufacture of cigarettes is well known in the art and naturally, specialized equipment is utilized by large cigarette manufacturers. However, there also exists a niche of "roll your own" which is popular with some smokers as the separate purchase of the tobacco and cigarette tube is substantially cheaper than the purchase of pre-manufactured cigarettes.

Smaller machines for filling prepared cigarette papers also known. With this type of machine, it is necessary to form a strand or plug which is inserted into the preformed paper cigarette paper shell or tube. The bulk tobacco has to be separated and then reformed into a continuous thin strand or skein in order to prevent the burning tobacco from crumbling when the cigarette is smoked.

An example of a manual cigarette filling device is shown in U.S. Patent 3,509,887 in which the tobacco supply is first collected by hand and then the amount needed for one cigarette inserted in an elongated forming device. Subsequently, a contact pressure dish is pressed onto the preformed tobacco strand and the tobacco pressed together to form a rounded tobacco strand. By means of a manual lever device, the preformed tobacco strand is then pressed into a cigarette paper tube which is positioned on a mounting device and held by a contact pressure device. Other types of manual cigarette filling devices have also been known in the art and are generally directed to filling a single tobacco tube when required.

There is also a market for cigarette smokers who do not wish to use a small do it yourself machine to roll their own cigarettes, but would rather have a machine could roll

-2-cigarettes at a relatively fast throughput. Also, some cigarette smokers prefer to utilize a specific type of tobacco and tube while at the same time not wanting to revert to the traditional roll your own cigarettes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for smokers to have a roll your own cigarette which is of a commercial quality.

It is a further object of the present invention to provided an apparatus which can throughput a high number of cigarettes and which may be utilized by a number of users.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in a retail outlet, the method comprising the steps of providing pre-cut tobacco stored at a predetermined relative humidity, supplying a plurality of empty cigarette tubes in a cassette, providing a cigarette fabricating apparatus having means for receiving the pre-cut tobacco and the cassette of cigarette tubes, transferring the pre-cut tobacco to a moulding device to form a cylindrical plug of tobacco, transferring the cylindrical plug of tobacco to a transition cylinder, placing an empty cigarette tube over the transition cylinder tube and withdrawing the transition cylinder to leave the plug of tobacco in the cigarette tube.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing cigarettes, the apparatus comprising an input hopper for receiving tobacco, a cigarette tube storage device for retaining a plurality of cigarette tubes, a transfer device to transfer tobacco from the input hopper to form a tobacco plug, a tube separator to singulate the cigarette tubes, transfer means for transferring the tobacco plug into a transition cylinder, means for advancing the transition cylinder into the cigarette tubes, and

-3-means for withdrawing the transition cylinder from the cigarette tube leaving the tobacco plug therein.

The present invention is directed to a market wherein a smoker may go into a store and purchase a supply of precut tobacco and preformed cigarette papers or tubes. The user would then be able to insert the tobacco and tubes into a machine which would produce a predefined number of cigarettes.

The apparatus according to the present invention will preferably include means for supplying cigarette tubes to the apparatus. While a number of different storage devices may be utilized, a preferred embodiment will utilize canisters of a desired capacity which may then be inserted into the machine. Naturally, different numbers and types of tubes may be utilized depending upon the requirements of the user.

The apparatus will also include an input hopper into which cut tobacco strands may be placed. The precut tobacco is hermetically stored in a suitable container.
As such, the tobacco hopper will have an input and an output with the tobacco preferably being transferred by a conveyor between the input and output. During the transfer, a combing device is provided for helping in the separation of the tobacco strands. A
suitable comb may comprise a rotating shaft having teeth extending outwardly therefrom.

The tobacco is then compacted and formed into a tobacco plug. Although there are many known ways of doing so, a preferred arrangement utilizes two conveyors which may have a converging section. The conveyors advance in the same direction to move the tobacco into a mold wherein it is formed into a plug.

From the mold, the tobacco plug is advanced and placed within a transition cylinder.
Preferably, the transition cylinder is mounted on a turret which can be rotationally driven.

-4-The tobacco tubes are singulated from the cannister (if using) and are preferably placed on a rotating turret having a plurality of recesses on the exterior surfaces thereof, with each recess being sized to receive a single cigarette tube.

The apparatus will include a plurality of transition cylinders which are designed to fit within the cigarette tube. Preferably, each transition cylinder has a flexible end which is biased inwardly. Such an arrangement permits the tip of the transition cylinder to enter the cigarette tube even if the cigarette tube is slightly out of round.

The plug of tobacco is pushed into the transition cylinder. Continued pushing on the tobacco will cause the cigarette tube to be removed from the transition cylinder as a completed cigarette.

The apparatus will also preferably have means for adjusting for both the length and compactness of the tobacco plug. This would allow the user to define these parameters.
The adjustment could be done either mechanically or through a touch screen type of device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of an apparatus according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the input hopper;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a storage device for the cigarette tubes;
Figure 4 is a view of the cigarette tube storage device in an open position;

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the transfer device for transferring tobacco from the input hopper to form a tobacco plug;

Figure 6 is a perspective view thereof;

-5-Figure 7 is a perspective view of the turret for singulating and receiving the individual cigarette tubes; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the device holding the cigarette tube when the tobacco is inserted therein, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a transition cylinder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference characters thereto, there is illustrated in Figure 1 a cigarette making apparatus which is generally designated by reference numeral 10. Apparatus 10 includes an input hopper generally designated by reference numeral 12, a transfer device generally designated by reference numeral 14, a cigarette tube storage container generally designated by reference numeral 16, a tube separator generally designated by reference numeral 18, a transfer device for inserting a cigarette plug into a cigarette tube generally designated by reference numeral 20, and a discharge container generally designated by reference numeral 22.

Input hopper 12, as may be best seen in Figure 2, has a main body 26 with an upper inlet 28. Mounted at the bottom of main body 26 is a conveyor 30. Mounted proximate to the outlet of input hopper 12 is a strand separator generally designated by reference numeral 32 and which comprises a shaft 34 having a plurality of pins or combs 36 extending outwardly therefrom. Shaft 34 is rotatably driven by an electric motor 38.

Transfer device 14 as seen in Figures 1, 5 and 6, has first and second side walls 42 and 44 which enclose a first conveyor 46 and a second conveyor 48. As best seen in Figure 5, first conveyor 46 includes an upper converging section 50 following which the conveyors 46 and 48 may be parallel or have a slight converging configuration.
An electric

-6-motor 52 acts to drive first and second conveyors 46 and 48.

Cigarette storage container 16 is illustrated in Figure 4 and reference will now be had thereto. Container 16 has a pair of side walls 56 and 58 and it will be noted that side wall 56 has a greater height and also has a flange 60 extending outwardly from a peripheral edge thereof. End walls 62 and 64 define the rectangular configuration while a bottom wall 66 is secured to end wall 62 by means of a hinge 68. Associated with container 16 is a motor 70 to operate a piston 72 to move the body of the container with respect to bottom wall 66.

The tobacco compaction occurs at the output of conveyors 46 and 48 and to this end, there is provided a first half mold member 74 having a semi cylindrical recess 75 at the end thereof and which half mold 74 is driven by a motor 76 having a piston 78 associated therewith.

A second mold 80 likewise has a semi cylindrical recess 81 and is moveable by means of motor 82 having piston 84 secured to half mold 80.

As may be seen in Figure 1, cigarette tube storage container 16 is positioned such that the container can be lifted while maintaining hinged bottom wall 66 in position such that cigarette tubes may be loaded onto a turret 88 which has recesses 90 formed therein. The recesses 90 are sized to receive a single cigarette tube. Turret 88 is rotatably driven by motor 91.

As may be seen in the drawings, there is provided a tube receiving device currently designated by reference numeral 24 in which has a base 96 with a plurality of transition cylinders 98 extending therefrom. It will be noted that each transition cylinder 98 preferably has an end which is diagonally cut to ease insertion of the empty cigarette tube thereabout.

In operation, turret 88 preferably has six stations or recesses for receiving the

-7-cigarette tubes. At a first station, a cigarette tube 94 is loaded thereon and it is then advanced through two more stations before the tobacco is inserted in the tube.
At a fifth station, the tubes are unloaded while at a sixth station, a cleaning operation is carried out.

At the tobacco station, the tube is transferred from the turret to the transition cylinder.
A piston will push the tobacco plug into a transition cylinder 98 which has a cigarette tube thereabout. The cigarette tube is also filled with tobacco while a continuing push will cause the tube to retract from the transition cylinder. The filled cigarette is then discharged.

A further station will verify that the tube has been fully fed; if not, it will be rejected at a subsequent station. It will be noted that after a predefined number of consecutive rejects, the machine will stop as the machine is probably missing either tobacco or tubes.

In a preferred embodiment, transition cylinders 198 as may be seen in Figure 9, have a flexible end which is biased slightly inwardly. This enables the tip of the transition cylinder to more easily enter an out of round cigarette tube. As the tobacco is pushed into transition cylinder 198, the wall flexes outwardly against the cigarette tube.

It will be understood that the above described embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.