EP2995208A1 - Attachment machine and method for producing a rod-shaped article in the tobacco industry - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment machine (21) for producing a rod-shaped article (10) of the tobacco processing industry comprises rotating drums for transversely axial conveying of first rod-shaped parts (12), in particular filter rods, and second rod-shaped parts (11), in particular tobacco rods, by a wrapping region (24 ), and feeding means (30-34) for feeding a wrapping strip (29) into the wrapping area (24) along a wrapping strip centerline MU for wrapping the first and second bar-shaped parts to join them together. The wrapping strip centerline MU is offset relative to a machine centerline MM by a positive amount Δx.

Description

The invention relates to a piecing machine and a method for producing a rod-shaped article of the tobacco-processing industry.

A proven filter attachment machine of the Applicant is for example from the DE 40 08 475 A1 known and sold under the name "MAX". Conventional filter attachment machines are designed for processing double-length tobacco articles. In a wrapping area, a double-length filter bar is placed symmetrically in the center of the machine. A tobacco stick is arranged laterally on the outside of the double-length filter rod. The tipping paper is fed centrally into the wrapping area and wrapped around the filter bar and the tobacco sticks by means of a roller to connect it to the filter bar. The double cigarette thus produced is cut in half to produce two individual filter cigarettes.

Consumers are increasingly in demand for rod-shaped tobacco products with dimensions and internal design that deviate significantly from conventional cigarettes. For example, so-called heat-emergency-burn articles are known in which a relative to the filter relatively short tobacco depot is heated instead of burned, and then flows through the heating aerosol forming a relatively long and / or complex filter. Due to the machine configuration of current cigarette manufacturing machines, such products are not acceptable Make standard machines. In particular, the filter length and the tipping paper width are significantly above the maximum processable dimensions, the tobacco rod length accordingly significantly below the processable minimum rod size.

The object of the invention is to provide a structurally proven attachment machine and a corresponding method, which enable a production of rod-shaped tobacco articles with geometry that deviates significantly from the conventional geometry.

The invention solves this problem with the features of the independent claims. By offsetting the wrapper stripe centerline by a positive amount Δx relative to a machine centerline, a wrapper strip that is twice the width of conventional scales can be used in the present invention as a single-width wrapper strip to make a single-length tobacco article with a relatively long filter rod. The machine centerline lies in the center plane or plane of symmetry of the rotating rollers, more precisely the provided on the outer periphery of the rollers wells for conveying rod-shaped articles or article components, and therefore designates the center line of the product run through the piecing machine when the piecing machine fitted over the entire roll width would.

The first and second rod-shaped parts are in particular filter rods and tobacco rods. Advantageously, the offset Δx between the wrap strip centerline and the machine centerline is greater than half the width of the wrapper strip and / or greater than half the length of a filter bar and / or greater than the length of a tobacco stick.

On both sides of the machine center line or center of the machine is in each case a production line, briefly referred to as a web. In contrast to the prior art, the piecing machine according to the invention is advantageously equipped in operation only on one path starting from the machine center with rod-shaped articles or article components, while the other web remains unpopulated. The articles are thus processed in the process area or in the process level in one lane, while the second lane remains article-free on the other side of the machine center. Preferably, the wrapping strip centerline is offset from the machine centerline to an operating side of the piecing machine. The processing in the piecing is then better visible to the operator, which facilitates the operation.

Preferably, the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts is arranged in the wrapping area in the machine center line. In the wrapping area, one of the other bar-shaped parts is arranged starting from the machine center line to one side, preferably inside one of the bar-shaped parts and externally attached thereto. Advantageously, the tobacco sticks and the outside of the filter rods are arranged relative to the machine center line inside. In an alternative embodiment, the filter rods can be arranged on the inside and the tobacco rods on the outside.

The transfer of rod-shaped articles from the upstream machine to the piecing machine is advantageously carried out completely cross-axially. Such a preferred handover is also referred to as a "direct link". In an advantageous embodiment, this is realized in that between the attachment machine and the upstream machine, a rod-shaped article cross-axially promoting adapter module is arranged. The upstream one Machine may advantageously comprise at least one feed module with a storage container for feeding a rod-shaped component. Furthermore, the upstream machine may comprise a group forming device for assembling groups of filter segments to produce multi-segment filter bars. These upstream modules or group imaging devices are sold by the applicant under the name "MERLIN".

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines stabförmigen Tabakartikels;

Fig. 2a

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Maschinenanordnung in einer ersten Ausführungsform;

Fig. 2b

eine schematische Draufsicht auf den Produktionslauf in der Maschinenanordnung gemäß Fig. 2a von oben;

Fig. 3

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Produktionsanlage;

Fig. 4a

eine schematische Seitenansicht eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäße Produktionsanlage; und

Fig. 4b

eine schematische Draufsicht auf den Produktionslauf in der Produktionsanlage gemäß Fig. 4a von oben.

The invention will be explained below with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Showing:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a rod-shaped tobacco article;

Fig. 2a

a schematic side view of a machine assembly according to the invention in a first embodiment;

Fig. 2b

a schematic plan view of the production run in the machine assembly according to Fig. 2a from above;

Fig. 3

a first embodiment of a production plant according to the invention;

Fig. 4a

a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a production plant according to the invention; and

Fig. 4b

a schematic plan view of the production run in the production plant according to Fig. 4a from above.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a rod-shaped tobacco article 10 with a significantly different from a conventional filter cigarette construction. The tobacco article 10 comprises a relatively short tobacco rod 11 of length LT and a relatively long filter rod 12 of length LF, which here consists of two segments 13, 14, but also of more than two segments, in particular for example of three segments (see below), can exist. The length LF of the filter rod 12 is in particular greater than the length LT of the tobacco rod 11. The filter rod 12 is attached to the tobacco rod 11 by means of a relatively wide padding paper leaflet 15 of width BU> LT. The total length L = LT + LF may correspond to the length of a conventional filter cigarette. The width BP of the tipping paper strip 29 does not allow the conventional processing of a double-length rod-shaped article having centrally disposed double-width tipping paper 15 in a conventional tipping machine.

The Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b show an inventive machine assembly 20 for the production of rod-shaped tobacco articles 10 with a predominantly conventional Filteransetzmaschine 21, ie advantageously without the need for a complete redevelopment of a Filteransetzmaschine. In the embodiment according to the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b are the tobacco sticks 11, for example, a in Fig. 2a only indicated magazine 22, which is adapted to store a large amount of tobacco sticks 11, for example, in multiple, here triple use length 11a fed from above into the Filteransetzmaschine 21 queraxial, and cut by means of driven drums 23 in single-length tobacco sticks 11 (see Fig. 2b ) and transversely in a wrapping area 24 promoted. The predominantly vertical drum barrel 23 corresponds to the usual filter run in the case of conventionally produced filter cigarettes, but is reversed in this embodiment of the invention used for feeding the tobacco sticks 11. The magazine 22 may be dispensable when the tobacco sticks 11 are entered directly and ordered or clocked in the drum barrel 23.

The filter rods 12 are transaxially conveyed and processed via driven drums 25, which form a predominantly horizontal drum run, by a preceding machine 26 in the wrapping region 24. The drum barrel 25 corresponds to the usual drum barrel for tobacco rod feed in the case of conventionally produced filter cigarettes, but in this embodiment of the invention is used inversely for feeding the filter rods 12.

A tipping paper strip 29 is withdrawn from a reel 30, glued, on a tipping roller 31 of a knife drum 32 in successive tufts 15 (see Fig. 3 ), sequentially adhered to a transfer drum 34 on successive filter rod tobacco rod units and rolled on a roller drum 35 by means of a rolling hand 36 around the filter rod tobacco rod units, whereby the filter rod 12 is connected to the tobacco rod 11.

The finished rod-shaped articles 10 are output by means of an output device 39 from the piecing machine 21. The piecing machine 21 is therefore, as usual, the last machine in the production line for producing the rod-shaped articles 10. The drum barrel 49 from the wrapping area 24 to the dispenser 39 may advantageously be conventional and therefore does not need to be redesigned.

The upstream machine 26, in this embodiment, for example, a filter-making machine, is advantageous via a direct link (Direct Link) with the Ansetzmaschine 21st Direct connection or direct link may include that the transfer ordered or clocked and / or exclusively takes place transaxially without Längsaxialförderung, wherein advantageously each filter rod 12 hand over individually becomes.

Fig. 2b shows a schematic plan view of the course of the tobacco sticks 11 and filter rods 12 in the machine assembly 20 according to Fig. 2a from above. The axial positions correspond to the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b (see Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b ). How out Fig. 2b It can be seen that the tobacco sticks 11 in the wrapping region 24 are not symmetrical to the machine center MM, but advantageously offset from the machine center MM so arranged that the free end of the tobacco sticks 11 touches the machine center MM on one side. Likewise, the filter rods 12 are eccentrically supplied to the wrapping area 24 and attached to the tobacco sticks 11 at their side facing away from the machine center MM side.

According to the invention, the tipping paper 29, 15 is arranged in the wrapping area 24 such that the center MU of the tipping paper run 29, 15 is offset from the machine center MM by a positive amount Δx. As a result, the invention achieves that with a conventional tipping paper 29, the width of which is designed for conventional double-length filter cigarettes (wrapping of a conventional double filter), single-length articles 15, for example according to FIG Fig. 1 can be wrapped with a much broader tipping paper than is possible with a conventional Filteransetzmaschine without the invention. The functions of the piecing machine 21 that follow the casing are essentially identical to the functions of a conventional filter attachment machine.

The amount .DELTA.x is advantageously greater than the length LT of the tobacco rods 11, greater than half the width (0.5 BU) of the tipping paper strip 29 or of the tipping paper leaflet 15 and / or greater than half the length (0.5 LF) of the filter rod 12 Furthermore, the wrapping strip centerline MU is advantageously forward relative to the machine centerline MM, ie, toward the operating side of the piecing machine 21 (downward in FIG Fig. 2b ) arranged so that the processing in the piecing machine 21 is better visible to the operator. Out Fig. 2b It can also be seen that in the piecing machine 21, processing takes place only on one path (starting from the machine center on the lower side in FIG Fig. 2b ) takes place, ie that the Ansetzmaschine 21 is equipped only on a train and thus operated in one lane, while the Ansetzmaschine 21 is unpopulated on the other lane and thus no processing takes place here. Accordingly, only single-length rod-shaped articles 10 and in particular no double-length rod-shaped articles are processed in the piecing machine 21.

Fig. 3 shows by way of example a production plant 40 with predominantly existing machines into which an inventive machine arrangement 20 according to FIG Fig. 2a is integrated. The attachment machine 21 is here in particular a MAX M series of the applicant, for example a MAX M5, with extensive testing options and great structural flexibility. The production plant 40 comprises a machine 41, for example an applicant's AF-KDF, for producing multiply long rods 14a for segments 14 of the filter rods 12. The multiple-length rods 14a are connected to a feed module 43a, for example a MERLIN soft module of the Applicant, and from there the filter making machine 26, for example a KDF of the applicant, for producing the filter rods 12 pass. The production plant 40 optionally comprises a machine 42, for example a KDF with Tubeformeinheit of the applicant for producing a multi-length bar 13a for segments 13 of the filter rods 12. The multi-length bars 14a to an optional feed module 43b, for example, a MERLIN soft module of the applicant, and there also passed to the filter manufacturing machine 26. The feed modules 43a, 43b each include a reservoir 48 (see Fig. 4a ) for the bars 13a and 14a, respectively. The feed modules 43a, 43b thus form a group forming device 43 for assembling groups of filter segments 13, 14 for producing multi-segment filter rods 12 in the filter rod manufacturing machine 26.

The production plant 40 further comprises a machine 44 for producing multiple-length tobacco sticks 11a with a distributor 45, a strand unit 46 and a transfer unit 47 for transferring the multiple-length tobacco sticks 11a to the piecing machine 21.

Advantage of a production plant 40 as in Fig. 3 It has been shown that, with low-overhead development effort and risk, it is possible to produce novel tobacco products that lie outside conventional geometry specifications, without having to forego the functions and the quality standard of conventional cigarette production systems.

A preferred embodiment of a piecing machine 21 and production plant 40 according to the invention is in the Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b shown. The attachment machine 21 differs from the embodiment according to Fig. 2a to the effect that here the tobacco sticks 11 together with filter rods 12 on the same Drum run 25 are supplied from the same upstream machine 26 in the wrapping area 24. The reservoir 22 and the drum run 23 leading from the reservoir 22 into the wrapping area may be dispensable in this preferred embodiment.

The production plant 40 is set up in the present case for producing a rod-shaped article 10 whose filter rod 12 is constructed from three filter segments 50, 51, 52. The middle filter segments 50 are conveyed for example in rows of three by a conveying device 53 and conveyed individually and with a positive offset Δx2 relative to the machine center MM into the machine 26 and from there into the wrapping region 24 of the piecing machine 21 in a singling device 54. The tobacco rod-distal filter segments 51 are fed as multiply, for example three-length rods 51a from a supply 55 from a reservoir 56, cut into individual filter segments 51 and fed with a positive offset .DELTA.x3 relative to the machine center MM in the wrapping region 24 of the piecing machine 21. The tobacco rod-proximate filter segments 52 are fed as multiply long, for example four-length rods 52a from a supply 57 from a reservoir 58, cut into individual filter segments 52 and fed with a positive offset Δx1 relative to the machine center MM in the wrapping region 24 of the piecing machine 21. The tobacco sticks 11 are supplied as multiply long, for example four-length sticks 11a from a supply device 59 from a reservoir 60, cut into simple long tobacco sticks 11 and fed with a positive offset ΔxT relative to the machine center MM in the wrapping region 24 of the piecing machine 21. The feeders 55, 57, 59 are, for example, MERLIN soft modules of the Applicant. All offsets Δx1, Δx2, Δx3, ΔxT are aligned from the center of the machine MM to the same side or web as the offset Δx1 of the tipping paper 15, 29. The offset ΔxT is dimensioned so that the free end of the tobacco rod 11 lies in the machine center MM. The offsets Δx1, Δx2, Δx3 and Δx are each greater than ΔxT. The feed modules 55, 57, 59 form a group forming device 43 for assembling groups of filter segments 50, 51, 52 and for producing multi-segment filter rods 12.

The drum barrel 25 of the upstream machine 26 (here grouping device 43) to the piecing machine 21 is advantageously arranged in an adapter module 61, in which advantageously exclusively cross-axial promotion of the tobacco rods 11 and the filter rods 12 takes place.

Claims (13)

A tying machine (21) for producing a rod-shaped article (10) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising rotating drums for transversely conveying first rod-shaped parts (12) and second rod-shaped parts (11) through a wrapping region (24), and a feeding device (30). 34) for feeding a wrapping strip (29) into the wrapping area (24) along a wrapping strip centerline MU for wrapping the first and second bar-shaped parts together to connect them, characterized in that the wrapping strip centerline MU relative to a machine centerline MM is arranged offset by a positive amount .DELTA.x. A tying machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the offset Δx between the wrapping strip centerline MU and the machine centerline MM is greater than half the width BU of the wrapping strip (29). Tying machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the offset Δx between the envelope strip centerline MU and the machine centerline MM is greater than half the length LF of a filter rod. Tying machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the offset Δx between the envelope strip centerline MU and the machine centerline MM is greater than the length LT of a tobacco rod. Tying machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wrapping strip center line MU with respect to the machine center line MM to a Operating side of the attachment machine (21) offset towards. Tying machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the free end of one of the rod-shaped parts (11) in the wrapping region (24) is arranged in the machine center line MM. Attachment machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the wrapping region (24) starting from the machine center line MM to one side inside of the rod-shaped parts (11) and externally attached thereto one of the other rod-shaped parts (12) is arranged. Attachment machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the attachment machine (21) is equipped in operation only on one track with article components, while the other web is unpopulated. Machine assembly (40) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising an attachment machine (21) according to one of the preceding claims and at least one upstream machine (26), characterized in that the transfer of rod-shaped parts (11, 12) from the upstream machine (26) the piecing machine (21) is completely cross-axial. Machine arrangement according to Claim 9, characterized in that a rod-shaped part (11, 12) of transversely-conveying adapter module (61) is arranged between the attachment machine (21) and the upstream machine (26). Machine arrangement according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the upstream machine (26) at least one feed module (55, 57, 59) with a reservoir (56, 58, 60) for supplying a rod-shaped component (11a, 51a, 52a) , Machine arrangement according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the upstream machine (26) comprises a group forming device (43) for assembling groups of filter segments (13, 14; 50, 51, 52) for the production of multi-segment filter bars (12). A method of manufacturing a rod-shaped article (10) of the tobacco processing industry comprising transaxially conveying first rod-shaped parts (12) and second rod-shaped parts (11) through a wrapping region (24), and feeding a wrapping strip (29) into the wrapping region (24 ) along a wrapping strip centerline MU for wrapping the first and second bar-shaped parts together to bond them together, characterized in that the wrapping strip (29) having a positive offset Δx of the wrapping strip centerline MU relative to a machine centerline MM in the wrapping area (FIG. 24) is supplied.

Images