GB1046489A - Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes - Google Patents

Abstract

1,046,489. Cigarette-making machines. MOLINS ORGANISATION Ltd. Oct. 14, 1963 [Oct. 15 1962], No. 38925/62. Heading A2C. Cigarette components are joined by a uniting band by rolling the components between two surfaces which move at different speeds in the same direction. A web W, e.g. of cork, is drawn by rolls 5, 6 over a guide 3 to co-operating knives 8 and 10 where it is cut into uniting lengths L. The knife 10 is fixed and the web is held away from the knife 10, except during cutting, by a pivoted arm 11 operated by a cam 14 on the shaft of knife 8. To space the cut lengths the roller 6 is accelerated during cutting to a speed in excess of its normal speed and equal to that of a suction roller 15, between which and idler rollers 16 and 17, the cut length L is passed to a perforated endless belt 23. The belt 23 passes around suction rollers 24 and 25 and over a suction groove 29. Adhesive is applied to the lengths L by an adhesive roller 35. Alternatively, the web may be supplied with adhesive as by a device 40. An arcuate heating surface 39 is provided adjacent the roller 25 for rendering the adhesive in suitable state for adhering the components. Double length stubs S are carried in grooves 46 of a rotary wheel 47 and fed to the centre of alternate flutes 50 of a drum 49 between the stops 51 positioned midway along the length of a flute. The remaining alternate flutes have no stops. Cigarette lengths C are fed from a suction wheel 52 into successive flutes 50, those passing into the flutes not having stops travelling to the end of the flutes and those passing into the flutes with stops travelling only as far as the stubs S. The components from successive pairs of flutes are deposited between bars 56, supported between endless chains 58 travelling over sprocket wheels 59, 60, and on an endless belt 41 travelling over rollers 42 and 43. The belt 43 travels more slowly than, but in the same direction as, the belt 23 and the bars 56 travel at substantially the same speed as the cigarette components when they are being rolled between the two belts 23 and 41. Prior to rolling, however, the bars 56 serve to push the cigarette lengths and stub from successive flutes 50 of the drum 49 into axial alignment. Side guides are provided for bringing the components into axial abutment. After the components have been united by rolling, the bars 56 push the assemblies over a bridge 64 on to the arms of rotary wheels 67 for delivering them, after cutting into individual cigarettes by a knife 68, to a catcher band 71.