EP0032398B1 - Appareil et procédé pour contrôler le fonctionnement d'une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes - Google Patents

Appareil et procédé pour contrôler le fonctionnement d'une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0032398B1
EP0032398B1 EP19810100183 EP81100183A EP0032398B1 EP 0032398 B1 EP0032398 B1 EP 0032398B1 EP 19810100183 EP19810100183 EP 19810100183 EP 81100183 A EP81100183 A EP 81100183A EP 0032398 B1 EP0032398 B1 EP 0032398B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
moisture content
moisture
rod
signal
sensor
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.)
Expired
Application number
EP19810100183
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0032398A3 (en
EP0032398A2 (fr
Inventor
Jerome Sydney Osmalov
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 USA Inc
Original Assignee
Philip Morris USA Inc
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 USA Inc filed Critical Philip Morris USA Inc
Publication of EP0032398A2 publication Critical patent/EP0032398A2/fr
Publication of EP0032398A3 publication Critical patent/EP0032398A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0032398B1 publication Critical patent/EP0032398B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • A24C5/32—Separating, ordering, counting or examining cigarettes; Regulating the feeding of tobacco according to rod or cigarette condition
    • A24C5/34—Examining cigarettes or the rod, e.g. for regulating the feeding of tobacco; Removing defective cigarettes

Definitions

  • This invention pertains to cigarette manufacture and, in particular, to control of cigarette manufacture at the cigarette maker.
  • the tobacco is usually stored for a period of time, which may be up to three days, in storage areas before being further processed into actual cigarettes at a cigarette maker.
  • these storage areas are subjected to a controlled climate in order to maintain the tobacco moisture content at the predetermined level established during the primary processing.
  • This storage procedure is costly and the tobacco may still undergo moisture changes during subsequent transport of the tobacco to the cigarette maker.
  • These moisture changes adversely affect maker operation, particularly in cases where the maker is provided with controls for establishing preselected values for various cigarette rod parameters such as, for example, rod density and/or rod firmness.
  • This is mentioned in British Specification 1,376,747 which discloses a microwave system for controlling tobacco rod density. In this system, since the microwave energy is affected by moisture as well as tobacco content, the system is constructed to permit obtaining values of each of these parameters from microwave signals which depend on both.
  • determined rod moisture content is utilized to control the moisture content of the input tobacco as it is being conveyed to the maker. Control is effected by determining the difference between the output rod moisture content and a desired target moisture content and using this difference to control the addition or subtraction of moisture to the input tobacco until output rod moisture content is at target moisture.
  • the invention further contemplates utilization of a number of techniques for determining rod moisture content. These techniques require a number of sensors for generating sensor signals related to output rod parameters such as moisture, firmness, density and speed.
  • Fig. 1 shows a system in accordance with the principles of the present invention for providing moisture control at a cigarette maker 1.
  • the maker 1 provides from the input tobacco stream 2 a continuous cigarette rod which is cut into lengths to provide individual cigarettes.
  • cigarette maker operation is controlled such that the cigarette rod has a moisture content which is substantially equal to a desired or target moisture value M t .
  • individual cigarettes resulting from the rod have a substantially equal precisely determined moisture content, thereby providing enhanced uniformity in cigarette production and improved quality control.
  • a moisture sensor 3 at the cigarette maker 1 monitors the cigarette rod and generates an output electrical signal M s indicative of rod moisture content.
  • the moisture sensor signal M s is fed to a signal processor 4 which develops an output control signal C for controlling the moisture content of the rod.
  • control is effected by changing or varying the moisture content of the input tobacco 2 until the output rod moisture content is at the target moisture value. This may be accomplished by utilizing the signal C to appropriately control conventional moistening means and/or dryer means situated adjacent the conveyance path of the input tobacco.
  • a moistening unit 5 which might comprise, for example, a steam source followed by a controllable valve, and a dryer 6 are responsive to the signal C and add and subtract moisture, respectively, to and from the input tobacco 2.
  • the control signal C brings the moistening unit 5 into operation during periods when the output rod moisture content is below target moisture and brings the dryer 6 into operation during periods when the output rod moisture content is above target moisture.
  • the processing operations of the signal processor 4 involve the generating of a rod moisture content signal M e from the moisture sensor signal M s and the formation of the control signal C from comparison of the generated signal M e with the target moisture M t .
  • Generation of the signal M e by the processor 4 depends to a large degree on the particular moisture sensor being used and such generation is carried out by processing the signal M s to provide a signal which is representative of the actual or true rod moisture content. Where the characteristics of the moisture sensor are such that the sensor signal M s is itself representative of true rod moisture content, then this processing is carried out by equating M e to M s .
  • adjusting factors are provided to account for the influence of the sensor characteristics. In actual practice, these adjusting factors can be empirically determined for each particular moisture sensor.
  • a speed or velocity sensor 9 may be provided for cigarette rod speed determination and included for sensor signal adjustment.
  • a first sensor which might be employed for the sensor 3 is a resistance type moisture sensor.
  • a resistance type moisture sensor might be formed on the above- mentioned conventional maker by inserting probes through apertures spaced along the length of the so-called tongue of the maker whereat the rod is being formed, the probes being of sufficient length to enter into the tobacco rod.
  • a current or voltage could then be supplied to the probe and the resultant voltage or current through the probe circuit measured to determine the tobacco rod resistance, and, therefore, the rod moisture content.
  • moisture content can be expressed as follows:
  • a o -A3 are constants which can be empirically determined for each particular tobacco blend and resistance sensor.
  • the signal processor 4 utilizes the sensor signal M s , the firmness sensor signal F s and the speed sensor signal S to derive the moisture content signal M e based on the expression (1).
  • the moisture sensor signal M s is a function of reflected and transmitted microwave power values in the absence and presence of the cigarette rod, these values being suitably adjusted for temperature variations in the cavity and/or the rod.
  • M s is as follows: where R a and T a are temperature adjusted values of the reflectance and transmittance of microwave power in the absence of the cigarette rod and Rp and Tp are temperature adjusted values of the reflectance and transmittance in the presence of the cigarette rod.
  • the obtained sensor signal M s requires adjustment related to the mass of the cigarette rod.
  • the moisture content is given as:
  • the constants B o and B 1 can also be empirically determined for the particular tobacco blend and microwave sensor being used.
  • the signal processor 4 determines the control signal C based upon the sensor signal M s adjusted by certain of the other sensor signal F s , D s and S as provided in equations 1, 2 and 3.
  • the processor 4 might typically take the form of a general or special purpose digital computer programmed in accordance with such equations and having stored therein the target values and appropriate constants.
  • the firmness sensor 3 utilized with the present invention can be of a strain gauge type and may, for example, be of a type as shown and described in United States Patent No. 4,033,360. Additionally, the density sensor 7 might be a beta gauge type manufactured by Molins Ltd. and supplied with its model number MK8 or MK9 cigarette maker. The speed sensor 9, on the other hand, might be a tachometer of conventional design yielding a value of voltage to represent revolutions per minute.
  • the signal processor may be utilized to also generate a firmness control signal C designed to control the maker such that the output rod has a predetermined or target firmness F t at the target moisture M t . Since the moisture control of the system maintains the output rod moisture content substantially at target moisture M t , the firmness variations requiring correction will depend almost solely on tobacco content variations.
  • control signal C' is expressed as follows: where F sm is firmness content in the tobacco attributable to moisture referenced to target moisture and is given as The latter expression, in turn, is derivable from rod firmness attributable to moisture which can be expressed as: where K o is a constant determined by the tobacco blend and the rod weight per unit volume and K, is a negative constant determined by the tobacco blend only.
  • firmness control can be achieved by utilizing the control signal C' to adjust the height of the ecreteur blade used to cut the tobacco stream at a given depth during rod formation.
  • the control signal C' might be used to control the maker distributor to obtain the desired control.

Landscapes

  • Manufacturing Of Cigar And Cigarette Tobacco (AREA)

Claims (16)

1. Appareil destiné à commander le fonction- nemet d'une machine (1) à fabriquer des cigarettes, ladite machine (1) étant alimentée en tabac d'alimentation à partir duquel elle produit une tige de cigarette, ledit appareil comportant un détecteur (8) destiné à produire un signal de détection de compacité (Fs) fonction de la compacité de ladite tige et des moyens (4) réagissant au signal de détection (Fs) pour commander la compacité de ladite tige, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend un détecteur (3) destiné à produire un signal de détection d'humidité (Ms) fonction de la teneur en eau de ladite tige, et des moyens (4) réagissant audit signal de détection d'humidité (Ms) pour commander la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation.
2. Appareil selon la revendication 1 dans lequel: les moyens de commande d'humidité (4) maintiennent la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation à un niveau entraînant la teneur en eau de ladite tige à être à une teneur en eau prédéterminée; et les moyens de commande de compacité (4) maintiennent la compacité de ladite tige à une compacité prédéterminée, à ladite teneur en eau prédéterminée.
3. Appareil selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre; un détecteur (9) destiné à produire un signal de détection de vitesse (S) fonction de la vitesse de ladite tige.
4. Appareil selon la revendication 3, dans lequel: le détecteur destiné à produire le signal de détection d'humidité (Ms) est un détecteur d'humidité du type à résistance.
5. Appareil selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre: un détecteur supplémentaire (7) destiné à produire un signal de détection de densité (Ds) fonction de la densité de ladite tige.
6. Appareil selon la revendication 5, dans lequel: le détecteur destiné à produire un signal de détection d'humidité (Ms) est un détecteur d'humidité du type à micro-ondes.
7. Appareil selon la revendication 1, 3, 4, 5 ou 6, dans lequel: les moyens de commande comprennent: un processeur de signal (4) réagissant aux signaux de détection pour produire un signal de teneur en eau correspondant à l'humidité réelle dans la tige; et des moyens de commande d'humidité (5, 6) réagissant au signal de teneur en eau pour régler la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation.
8. Appareil selon la revendication 7, dans lequel le tabac d'alimentation a une teneur en eau inférieure à la teneur en eau prédéterminée désirée dans la tige, et dans lequel: le processeur de signal (4) produit un signal de commande (C) en fonction d'une comparaison entre le signal de teneur en eau et la teneur en eau prédéterminée; et les moyens de commande d'humidité réagissent au signal de commande (C) et comportent des moyens (5) pour ajouter de l'humidité au tabac de l'alimentation.
9. Appareil selon la revendication 7, dans lequel le tabac d'alimentation a une teneur en eau supérieure à la teneur en eau prédéterminée désirée dans la tige et dans lequel: le processeur de signal (4) produit un signal de commande (C) en fonction d'une comparaison entre le signal de teneur en eau et la teneur en eau prédéterminée; et les moyens de commande d'humidité réagissent au signal de commande (C) et comportant des moyens (6) pour enlever de l'humidité du tabac de l'alimentation.
10. Procédé pour commander le fonctionnement d'une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes, cette machine étant alimentée en tabac d'alimentation à partir duquel elle produit une tige de cigarette, ce procédé consistant à détecter la compacité de la tige pour produire un signal de détection de compacité et à commander la compacité de la tige sur la base du signal de détection de compacité, caractérisé par les phases consistant à détecter la teneur en eau de la tige pour produire un signal détection d'humidité et à commander la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation sur la base du signal de détection d'humidité.
11. Procédé selon la revendication 10, dans lequel: la phase de commande de la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation est effectué en maintenant la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation à un niveau qui entraîne la teneur en eau de la tige à être à une teneur en eau prédéterminée; et la phase de commande de la compacité de la tige est effectuée en maintenant la compacité à une compacité prédéterminée, à la teneur en eau prédéterminée.
12. Procédé selon la revendication 10, comprenant en outre une phase consistant à détecter la densité de la tige pour produire un signal de détection de densité; et la phase de commande de la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation est basée sur les signaux de détection de densité et d'humidité.
13. Procédé selon la revendication 10, dans lequel: la phase de commande de la teneur en eau de la tige est basée sur les signaux de détection de vitesse, de compacité et d'humidité.
14. Procédé selon la revendication 10, 11, 12 ou 13, dans lequel: la phase de commande de la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation comprend les phases consistant à traiter les signaux de détection pour produire un signal de teneur en eau correspondant à l'humidité réelle dans la tige; et à regler la teneur en eau du tabac de al'alimentation sur la base du signal de teneur en eau.
15. Procédé selon la revendication 14, dans lequel le tabac d'alimentation a une teneur en eau inférieure à la teneur en eau prédéterminée désirée dans la tige, et dans lequel: la phase consistant à traitement des signaux de détection comprend une comparaison du signal de teneur en eau et de la teneur en eau prédétermine; et la phase consistant à régler la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation est effectuée en ajoutant de l'humidité au tabac d'alimentation sur la base de la comparaison du signal de teneur en eau et de la teneur en eau prédéterminée.
16. Procédé selon la revendication 14, dans lequel: le tabac d'alimentation a une teneur en eau supérieure à la teneur en eau prédéterminée désirée dans la tige, et dans lequel: la phase de traitement des signaux de détection comprend une comparaison du signal de teneur en eau et de la teneur en eau prédéterminée; et la phase consistant à régler la teneur en eau du tabac d'alimentation est effectuée en enlevant de l'humidité du tabac d'alimentation sur la base de la comparaison du signal de teneur en eau et de la teneur en eau prédéterminée.
EP19810100183 1980-01-14 1981-01-13 Appareil et procédé pour contrôler le fonctionnement d'une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes Expired EP0032398B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11152180A 1980-01-14 1980-01-14
US111521 1980-01-14

Publications (3)

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EP0032398A2 EP0032398A2 (fr) 1981-07-22
EP0032398A3 EP0032398A3 (en) 1983-07-20
EP0032398B1 true EP0032398B1 (fr) 1986-09-03

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EP19810100183 Expired EP0032398B1 (fr) 1980-01-14 1981-01-13 Appareil et procédé pour contrôler le fonctionnement d'une machine à fabriquer les cigarettes

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EP (1) EP0032398B1 (fr)
CA (1) CA1155032A (fr)
DE (1) DE3175243D1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8815175D0 (en) * 1988-06-25 1988-08-03 Molins Plc Cigarette manufacture

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2667172A (en) * 1946-08-21 1954-01-26 American Mach & Foundry Cigarette rod condition measuring and indicating
FR1005426A (fr) * 1947-07-17 1952-04-10 Procédé de traitement des matières fibreuses humides, notamment du tabac, et dispositifs permettant la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé
GB867143A (en) * 1957-01-09 1961-05-03 Industrial Nucleonics Corp Improvements in or relating to moisture gauges
GB953728A (en) * 1959-04-17 1964-04-02 Desmond Walter Molins Improvements in or relating to continuous rod cigarette-making machines
GB953792A (en) * 1959-04-17 1964-04-02 Desmond Walter Molins Improvements in or relating to continuous rod cigarette-making machines
US3411513A (en) * 1966-11-18 1968-11-19 Knobel Max Method and apparatus for gauging and controlling firmness in cigarettes and the like

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Publication number Publication date
DE3175243D1 (en) 1986-10-09
EP0032398A3 (en) 1983-07-20
CA1155032A (fr) 1983-10-11
EP0032398A2 (fr) 1981-07-22

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