GB1236276A - Method and apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco rod - Google Patents

Abstract

1,236,276. Cigarette-making machines. HAUNI-WERKE KORBER & CO. K.G. 11 Nov., 1968 [7 Feb., 1968], No. 53223/68. Heading A2C. [Also in Division G3] In an apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco rod, preferably of cut tobacco, for producing cigarettes or the like, by duplicated withdrawal of surplus tobacco from a tobacco stream, the surplus tobacco is taken from two different sides of the tobacco stream. General operation. Cut tobacco is showered from a distributor 2 to form a tobacco stream 4 on a first conveyer 3 which transports the stream 4 through a point C, where its top surface is trimmed by a first trimmer 7, and on to a point A where it is transferred to a second conveyer 8 on which at point D it is trimmed on its opposite side, to that originally trimmed, by a second trimmer 11. The tobacco stream 4 is then formed into a rod and wrapped in conventional manner, and the cigarette rod 21 so formed passed through a beta-ray rodmeasuring device 19 before being cut off into individual cigarettes 23. The conveyer 3 comprises a suction-backed endless perforated belt 26, and the conveyer 8 comprises a forming wheel 73 having a tobacco duct 74 with a suction-backed perforated bottom 77. Trimmer construction. The trimmer 7 comprises a rotary cutter 31 mounted on a shaft 32 driven via a pulley 34, a V-belt 33, a pulley 36, a worm wheel 38 and a worm 39, from the main machine drive. An arm 43, of a carrier 44 that supports the cutter shaft 32, is fixed to a bracket 42 rotatably mounted on a shaft 41 of the worm 39. The height of the trimmer cutter 31 above the tobacco stream 4 is adjustable by means of a cam disc 47 acting on a roller 46 embodied in the arm 43; the cam disc 47 being adjustable either manually, through a chain and sprocket system by a crank 66, or automatically, by a reversible electric motor 54. The second trimmer 11 is similarly constructed. Automatic control. Preferably the height of the trimmer 11, or alternatively and less preferably the height of the trimmer 7 or both, is automatically adjusted in response to variations in the degree of filling of the cigarette rod 21 as sensed by the device 19. Electric signals from the device 19 are first smoothed in a device 91 and then compared at a point 92 with a standard value supplied by a source 93 and the resultant signal passed to a power amplifier 94 that feeds an alternating current to the motor 154 or 54. The motors 54, 154 may also be used to preset the height of their respective trimmer cutters 31, 131 by connection to three phase supplies 72, 172 by switches 71, 75 giving a different phase sequence and thus permitting reversal of the electric motors 54, 154. Alternatively presetting is effected by manual operation of the cranks 66, 166. In another embodiment, Fig. 2 (not shown), the suction backings of the conveyers 3, 8 are replaced by mechanical presser means comprising a sprung pressure shoe (501) mounted above the first conveyer (203) upstream of the first trimmer (207) with the belt (226) of the first conveyer (203) being extended to travel around that part of the circumference of the second conveyer (208) extending from the point A to just before the point D to act as a second presser means. It is further envisaged that one only of the two conveyers 3, 8 of Fig. 1 may be modified as in Fig. 2.