GB2108819A

GB2108819A - Apparatus for forming and draping a rod-like filler in a running web in cigarette making machines or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2108819A
Application number: GB08231492A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gottfried Hoffmann
Original assignee: Hauni Werke Koerber and Co KG
Current assignee: Koerber AG
Priority date: 1981-11-07
Filing date: 1982-11-04
Publication date: 1983-05-25
Also published as: JPS5881774A; IT1210948B; IT8224086A0

Abstract

A running rod-like filler of tobacco or the like is formed and draped with a running web in a cigarette making machine or the like by means of an apparatus having a body portion defining an elongated tapering smooth channel and a running endless flexible element which lines the channel, a portion of the body being air permeable and connected to a source of compressed air for generating a flow of air through the air permeable portion and, in one embodiment, into the channel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for forming and draping a rod-like filler in a running web in cigarette making machines or the like The invention relates to a garniture part in a rod making machine of the tobacco processing industry. More specifically, the invention relates to a garniture part having a garniture body which consists of a sintered material and has a longitudinally extending channel to guide an endless circulating garniture belt.

The garniture part of a rod making machine of the tobacco processing industry serves to form and drape a filler consisting, for example, of tobacco or filter material, into a strip of wrapping material. To this end, the garniture part comprises a garniture body with a channel having a substantially semicircular cross-sectional outline, extending in the direction of transport and tapering from the inlet on until it reaches the desired cross section of the rod to be formed. The channel guides a circulating garniture belt which carries a strip of wrapping material. A filler of material, which is deposited from above onto the strip of wrapping material and consists of tobacco or filter material, is formed and draped during travel through the channel as a result of cooperation of the garniture body with additional shaping parts.In such machines, an especially serious problem is created by friction which develops between the running garniture belt and the stationary garniture body and, especially in modern high-output machines, leads to undesirable rises of temperature and pronounced mechanical stressing of the garniture belt resulting in relatively quick wear upon the garniture belt.

In order to reduce wear upon the garniture belt, it is known to provide the garniture body with bores which discharge into the bottom of the garniture channel and are connected with a source of compressed air.

In this manner, there is established between the garniture body and the garniture belt an air cushion which reduces friction (DE-AS 20 1 7 345). US-PS 2 617 426 discloses the utilization of a garniture body of porous material, especially sintered material. The porous surface of the sintered material should permit escape, through the pores, of air which is entrained into the garniture channel by the garniture belt.

An object of the invention is to construct a garniture part of the above described type in such a way as to guarantee a practically disturbancefree continuous operation with reduced friction and reduce development of heat simultaneously with a more intensive withdrawal of heat.

In accordance with the invention, this object is accompiished with a garniture part of the above described type in which the surface of the channel which guides the circulating garniture belt is smoothed and in which the garniture body is adjacent to a plenum chamber which is connected with a source of compressed air to generate an air flow which flows through the garniture body and into the channel in a direction transversely of the direction of travel of the garniture belt. The air flows through the pores of sintered material, of which the garniture body consists, not only into the channel wherein it forms an air cushion between the garniture belt and the surface of the channel but also in immediate proximity of and around the channel to thus achieve an especially intensive cooling effect.Smoothing of the normally coarse channel surface, which faces the garniture belt, further enhances the friction-reducing effect of air flowing into the channel.

In accordance with a further development of the invention, it is proposed that the surface of the channel which guides the circulating garniture belt be rendered impermeable to air. This allows for an especially smooth finish of the channel surface simultaneously with intensive cooling of the channel by air flows in the porous garniture body around the channel. In accordance with the invention, in an embodiment of the garniture part which exhibits an especially pronounced mechanical stability, the garniture body of sintered material is disposed on a solid block; and a plenum chamber which is connected with a source of compressed air is confined between the garniture body and the block.In order to ensure that the air flow is preferably directed toward the garniture channel and cannot escape laterially, it is further proposed in accordance with the invention to coat those lateral surfaces of the garniture body which are parallel to the direction of the rod with a layer which is impermeable to air. A free flow of air through the pores of the garniture body, also in continuous operation, is ensured if a fine-pore filter is provided in the means for admission of air to the garniture body to intercept contaminants which are entrained by air. It is contemplated that a particularly advantageous embodiment utilizes a fine-pore filter consisting of sintered material so that air, which is admitted to the garniture body, is reliably relieved of foreign bodies which could clog the pores of the garniture body.The sintered material of the garniture body is primarily a sintered metal.

A particular advantage of the invention consists in that, as a result of smoothing of the porous and hence inherently coarse surface which guides the garniture belt, and as a result of establishment of the air cushion between the channel surface and the garniture belt, the friction and the development of heat are reduced considerably which leads to a substantial reduction of mechanical stresses upon the garniture belt. In this manner, one reduces the stretching of and the wear upon the garniture belt. Furthermore, the more pronounced withdrawal of heat from the region of the garniture by the flowing air in accordance with the invention effects a reduction of thermal stresses upon the garniture belt and the rod which is guided by the garniture belt.The connection between the garniture part of sintered material and a solid supporting block results in a highly stable mechanical design of the garniture part.

Since the air which is supplied to the garniture body is cleaned in an optimum way, the invention allows for reliable utilization of the garniture in continuous operation. A particularly advantageous filter appears to be one of sintered material because this ensures segregation of all particles which are entrained by air and which could lead to clogging of the garniture body.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a cigarette rod making machine; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a garniture body of a garniture part in the cigarette rod making machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

The construction and mode of operation of the cigarette rod making machine which is shown in Fig. 1 are as follows: A tobacco stream, which is formed on a tobacco belt 3 sliding in a tobacco channel 1 along a perforated channel bottom 2, is taken over by a forming wheel 4 whose periphery is provided with a U-shaped groove having a perforated bottom and being acted upon by suction air in the region of the path of tobacco transport. A trimming device 6 removes the surplus from the tobacco stream on the forming wheel 4 and thereby forms a tobacco filler 7.A rod conveyor 8, which operates with suction, lifts the tobacco filler 7 from the groove of the forming wheel 4 and deposits it into a strip 9 of cigarette paper which is guided to travel in the same direction, which is withdrawn from a reel 11, which is guided through an imprinting mechanism 12, and which is advanced onto a driven garniture belt 1 3. The garniture belt 1 3 transports the tobacco filler 7 and the, cigarette paper strip 9 through a garniture 14 wherein the gigarette paper strip 9 is folded around the tobacco filler so that one marginal portion still extends therefrom.

A paster 1 6 coats such marginal portion with adhesive, and a sealer 1 7 dries the seam. A cutoff 1 9 subdivides the thus obtained cigarette rod 18 into discrete cigarettes 21 which are propelled into a depositing drum 23 by an accelerator 22.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate a garniture body 24 which constitutes the lower part of the garniture 14 in the rod making machine of Fig. 1. A semicircular channel 26, which constitutes a guide for a conveyor belt in the form of a garniture belt 13 (see Fig. 1), is machined into the garniture body 24 and tapers conically from the garniture inlet (see arrow 27) until it assumes the desired crosssection of the rod.

In accordance with the invention, the garniture body 24 consists of a porous sintered material.

The surface of the channel 26, along which the garniture belt 13 is guided, is smoothed in order to obtain as satisfactory friction values as possible. The garniture body 24 is carried by a solid block 28. A recess 29 in the block 28 establishes between the block 28 and the garniture body 24 in air chamber which is connected with a source 32 of compressed air by a conduit 31. An air filter 33, preferabiy in the form of a body of sintered material is inserted into the conduit 31.

The source 32 of compressed air establishes an air flow across the filter 33, through the conduit 31, to the air chamber 29 and through the latter into the pores of the garniture body 24.

The air flows issues from the garniture body 24 into the channel 26 and forms an air cushion between the garniture belt 13, which is guided in the channel 26, and the surface of the channel. The smoothed surface of the channel 26 and the air flow considerably reduce friction between the garniture belt and the channel so that the mechanical and thermal stresses upon the garniture belt are reduced considerably. Air which flows to all pores of the garniture body 24 simultaneously effects a highly pronounced cooling of the garniture. The cooling takes place even if, as provided in accordance with a modification of the invention, the surface of the channel 26 is impermeable to air.The pores, which extend directly to the surface of the channel, ensure that the air flow is guided around the channel below a very thin surface layer so that one achieves a very intensive cooling of the channel region. In order to prevent lateral escape of air from the garniture body 24, it is further provided in accordance with the invention that that lateral surfaces of the garniture body 24 be coated with layers 34 (Fig. 3) of a material which is impermeable to air.

Of course, this layer 34 should not interfere with the flow of air through the garniture body 24.

Therefore, it is to be applied in such a way that the air flow is maintained. The layers 34, which need coat only sections of lateral surfaces, ensure an intensification of air flow toward the channel 26 and to the upper side of the garniture body 24.

The air filter 32, which is inserted into the conduit 31, ensures that the pores of the garniture body 24 remain free of contaminants, even in continouous operation, so that it is possible to establish a continuous unimpeded air stream through the garniture body.

The arrangement which is described as an embodiment of the invention is such that the plenum chamber 29 is disposed at that side which is located opposite the channel 26, namely, below the graniture body, and wherein an air flow is established from below to flow upwardly through the garniture body. Of course, it is equally possible to dispose the air chamber laterally of the garniture body so that the air flow is directed to the garniture body from the side and transversely of the channel. Such construction is particularly suitable if the surface of the channel is impermeable to air. Of course, the garniture body can also be subjected to the action of compressed air from both lateral sides thereof.

Claims

1. In a cigarette making machine or the like, apparatus for forming a running rod-like filler of tobacco or the like and draping a running web of paper or the like around the running rod-like filler, the combination of a guide member defining an elongated channel bounded by a smooth surface, said member having a portion adjacent said surface and consisting of air permeable material, a source of compressed gaseous fluid connected with said member to admit fluid into said air permeable portion for passage through said air permeable portion and said surface into said channel, a running endless flexible element having a web draping portion extending through and lining said channel so as to conform to the configuration of said surface and means for feeding web and filler into the range of said flexible element and said channel and into the confines of said portion of the flexible element.

2. A cigarette making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air permeable material consists of a sintered material.

3. A cigarette making machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the entire guide member consists of sintered material.

4. A cigarette making machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said compressed gaseous fluid flows in a direction through said air permeable portion and said surface and into said channel transversely of the direction of travel of said running web.

5. A cigarette making machine as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said surface includes a portion which is impermeable to said gaseous fluid.

6. A cigarette making machine as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a solid block and wherein said guide member is disposed on said block and said source of compressed gaseous fluid comprises a plenum chamber defined by said guide member and said block.

7. A cigarette making machine as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a filter through which has lateral portions extending in the longitudinal direction of the channel which are impermeable to said gaseous fluid.

8. A cigarette making machine as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a filter through whcih said gaseous fluid passes prior to admission into said air permeable portion.

9. A cigarette machine as claimed in Claim 8 wherein said filter consists of a sintered material.

1 0. A cigarette making machine substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.