CN111480878A

CN111480878A - Manufacture of rod-shaped smoking articles

Info

Publication number: CN111480878A
Application number: CN202010078875.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: V.布拉泽; B.沃尔夫; B.迈瓦尔德
Original assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau GmbH
Current assignee: Koerber Technologies GmbH
Priority date: 2019-01-28
Filing date: 2020-02-03
Publication date: 2020-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2040-02-03
Also published as: CN111480878B; EP3685684A1; EP3685684B1; PL3685684T3; DE102019101988A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing rod-shaped smoking articles on a drum machine of the tobacco processing industry, wherein the rod-shaped articles are arranged one behind the other in a transverse axis direction in a receiving pocket of a rotary conveying drum of a conveying assembly for conveying the rod-shaped articles in the transverse axis direction and are conveyed in a plurality of conveying sections in the transverse axis direction by rotation of the conveying drum. The rod-shaped articles are conveyed in a first conveying section on at least one conveying roller in a first transverse axial distance between the rod-shaped articles and then in a second conveying section, which is designed with a first cutting device, wherein the transverse axial distance between the rod-shaped articles is increased or decreased during or after the transfer of the rod-shaped articles from the first conveying section onto the second conveying section. In the second conveying section, the rod-shaped articles are cut by the first cutting device of the second conveying section into a plurality of, in particular two or three, article rod segments, which are subsequently conveyed to further conveying rollers of the conveying assembly.

Description

Manufacture of rod-shaped smoking articles

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for producing rod-shaped smoking articles on a drum machine of the tobacco processing industry, wherein rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry are arranged one behind the other in a transverse axis direction in a receiving pocket of a rotary conveying drum of a conveying assembly for conveying the rod-shaped articles in the transverse axis direction and are conveyed in the transverse axis direction by the rotation of the conveying drum.

Background

In machines of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter tipping machines, transport rollers are used for transporting cigarettes, filter rod pieces or parts thereof. The concept of "parts" of cigarettes and filter rods is also to be understood in the sense of the present invention as elements of the smoking article, for example as alternatives to the elements.

The conveying of the aforementioned objects during the manufacture of cigarettes, filters and alternative smoking articles is generally carried out in modern production machines of the tobacco processing industry by means of a conveying drum, the shell surface of which for conveying rod-shaped objects as rod-shaped components (cigarettes, filter rods or plugs, filter cigarettes) is provided with pockets for receiving the objects.

During the transport, these objects of the tobacco processing industry are held by the suction air on transport rollers which rest against the respective channels, mostly holes. These channels are generally arranged in rows, the length of which corresponds to the geometry of the object to be transported transversely to the transport direction.

In filter tipping machines and multi-filter segment makers, rod-shaped articles, such as tobacco rods or filter plugs or filter rods, are conveyed in an axial direction on a conveying drum in receiving pockets of the conveying drum. In this case, the receiving pockets are arranged on the peripheral surface of the transfer cylinder at a predetermined index pitch.

A filter tip mounting machine is understood to be a device for producing filter cigarettes, which device has: an appliance for receiving a double length tobacco rod; means for severing the double length tobacco rods into single length tobacco rods; means for inserting a double length filter plug between single length tobacco rods; means for connecting the double length filter plug with the two single length tobacco rods by wrapping with a paper cover, the paper cover being separated from the input strip of paper cover by means of a cutting device; means for effecting a cut separation through a double length filter plug to produce a normal use length of filter cigarette. In a single-track filter mounting machine, a series of tobacco rod-filter plug-tobacco rod groups, which are arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction and are transported, are fed as a single-track material flow to the facing device. A filter tipping machine is disclosed, for example, in EP 1213105B 1.

Disclosure of Invention

The aim of the invention is to enable the transport of a protective product for rod-shaped articles to be cut or cut several times.

This object is achieved by a method for producing rod-shaped smoking articles on a drum machine of the tobacco processing industry, wherein rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry are arranged one behind the other in a transverse axis in a receiving pocket of a rotating conveyor drum of a conveyor assembly for conveying the rod-shaped articles in the transverse axis direction and are conveyed in the transverse axis direction by rotation of the conveyor drum, and wherein the rod-shaped articles are transferred from a conveyor drum which delivers the articles to the conveyor drum which receives the articles in a corresponding transfer region between two conveyor drums, wherein the rod-shaped articles are conveyed in a first conveyor section in the transverse axis direction on at least one conveyor drum at a preferably constant first transverse axis spacing between the rod-shaped articles, wherein the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the transverse axis direction in the first conveyor section are subsequently conveyed in a second conveyor section which is designed with a first cutting device, wherein the transverse axial spacing between the rod-shaped articles increases or decreases during or after the transfer of the rod-shaped articles from the first conveying section onto the second conveying section, wherein in the second conveying section the rod-shaped articles are cut into a plurality of, in particular two or three, article rod segments by means of the first cutting device of the second conveying section, and after the rod-shaped articles have been cut into article rod segments the article rod segments are formed in the second conveying section as a preferably single row of transverse-axis successively arranged article rod segments, wherein the preferably constant transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments of the formed row of article rod segments corresponds to a fraction (Bruchteil) of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section, wherein the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments of the formed row in the second conveying section passes through the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles in the second conveying section The product of the transverse distance multiplied by the inverse number of the number of article rod segments cut out of the rod-shaped articles, respectively, is determined, and the article rod segments of the second conveying section, which are preferably arranged in a single row, are then transferred to a third conveying section, which is designed with a second cutting device, wherein in the third conveying section the article rod segments are cut, preferably centrally, into a plurality of, in particular two, article rod segment pieces, respectively, wherein in the third conveying section the article rod segments and the article rod segment pieces are conveyed with a preferably constant transverse axial distance which corresponds to the transverse axial distance of the article rod segments of the preferably single row of article rod segments formed in the second conveying section, and the article rod segment pieces are then conveyed with the same constant transverse axial distance to an input device, the input device is for inputting components of smoking articles to the article rod segment pieces conveyed by the conveying drum.

The invention is based on the idea that, during or after the transfer of rod-shaped articles from the conveyor rollers of the first conveying section to the conveyor rollers of the second conveying section, the rod-shaped articles are braked or accelerated at their orbital speed, and that, after the transfer, the rod-shaped articles and the article rod segments formed from the rod-shaped articles and also the article rod segment pieces formed from the article rod segments are conveyed in the second conveying section and the third conveying section at the same orbital speed. In this case, the track speed of the rod-shaped articles, the article rod segments and the article rod segment blocks is the same or constant during their conveyance in the second and third conveyance sections. Whereby transport of the protective articles of the respective rod-shaped articles, article rod segments and article rod segment pieces is obtained in the second and third transport sections of the transport assembly in relation to the transport direction of the rod-shaped articles, article rod segments and article rod segment pieces before other smoking article components are input to the article rod segment pieces.

In this case, for example, a rod of articles of multiple length is received by the rod maker or rod making machine as the article of the rod maker in order to produce rod-shaped smoking articles on the drum machine configured with the conveying assembly. In this case, in particular, the article rods of multiple length are conveyed in the longitudinal direction on the output side of the slivering machine and transferred by means of the transfer device to a conveying roller of the first conveying section or to the conveying roller. By means of an upstream transfer device, product rods of multiple length produced by the rod-forming machine are transferred as rod-shaped articles from a longitudinal to a transverse direction on the conveyor assembly. For example, the transfer device is configured as a star wheel (spine) or a pushing drum.

During the transverse axial conveyance of the rod-shaped articles in the first conveying section, the rod-shaped articles are conveyed relative to each other at a first transverse axial spacing. After or while transferring the rod-shaped articles on the conveying rollers of the first conveying section to the subsequent conveying rollers of the second conveying section, the transverse axial spacing between the transferred rod-shaped articles changes. The rod-shaped articles are thereby conveyed in the second conveying section with a second transverse axial spacing which is different from the first transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles during their conveyance in the first conveying section.

In the second conveying section, first cutting means are provided on the first cutting drum on which the rod-shaped articles are conveyed, in order to cut the rod-shaped articles into a plurality of article rod segments. For example, the cutting device has one or two or more cutting knives for this purpose in order to cut rod-shaped articles of multiple length. If the first cutting device has a cutting knife, the rod-shaped articles are cut into two article rod segments, respectively. If the first cutting device has two cutting knives, the rod-shaped articles are cut into three article rod segments, respectively.

Within the scope of the invention are: forming the article rod segments into a row of article rod segments arranged one behind the other in the second conveying section after cutting the rod-shaped articles into article rod segments. In this case, there are also provided: after cutting, the row of article rod segments, which are arranged next to one another in the transverse direction and are separately conveyed in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum(s), is staggered in the receiving pockets or arranged in a single row, that is to say without longitudinal axial offset relative to one another, in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum(s).

In particular, the rod-shaped articles are cut into article rod segments of the same length in the second conveying section by means of the first cutting device. Preferably, the article rod segments are cut in the third conveying section by means of the second cutting device into article rod segment pieces of the same length.

In this case, the transverse axial spacing in the second conveying section of the cut article rod segments transferred from the second conveying section to the third conveying section of the conveying assembly corresponds to the product of the reciprocal of the number of article rod segments cut out of the rod-shaped articles in each case and the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles before cutting in the second conveying section. For example, if two article bar segments are obtained from the rod-shaped articles, respectively, the transverse axial spacing of the article bar segments in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum(s) that are transferred onto the third conveying section on the output side of the second conveying section is half of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles in the second conveying section. In the case of three article rod segments being obtained from the rod-shaped articles in the second conveying section, respectively, the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments to be presented to the third conveying section in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum(s) is one third of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles in the second conveying section.

Within the scope of the invention, the first conveying section may have only one conveying roller or a plurality of conveying rollers, wherein the rod-shaped articles are conveyed in the first conveying section at a constant first transverse axial distance in the receiving pockets of the conveying roller(s) in a transverse axial direction. Furthermore, the second conveying section has a plurality of conveying rollers, wherein one conveying roller is in this case designed as a cutting roller. Furthermore, the second transfer section may have further transfer rollers, such as at least one staggered roller, at least one pusher roller, at least one transport roller, or the like. Furthermore, the third transfer section of the transfer assembly may have further transfer drums in addition to the cutting drum having the cutting device arranged thereon.

Furthermore, it is preferred that in the third conveying section the groups of article rod segment pieces cut out respectively from the article rod segments are conveyed in the third conveying section with a transverse axial spacing corresponding to the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments conveyed in the third conveying section before cutting by means of the cutting device.

In particular, the first cutting cylinder of the second transfer section and the second cutting cylinder of the third transfer section have the same indexing spacing between the receiving pockets.

In addition, within the scope of the invention are provided: with regard to the conveying direction of the rod-shaped articles, such as, for example, rod-shaped articles, article rod segments and article rod segment pieces, the rod-shaped segments, such as, for example, filter segments, are applied to the cut article rod segment pieces by the infeed device only after the second cutting drum of the third conveying section, so that article groups are formed therefrom, which are subsequently wrapped or cut with a strip of wrapping material. Here, it is possible to provide: after the third conveying section, the respective filter segment or further tobacco product segment is inserted between two longitudinally axially spaced apart product rod segments on the assembly drum and then wrapped with a strip of wrapping material, so that single-use-length rod-shaped smoking articles are subsequently produced by centrally cutting through the respectively formed partial groups of tobacco products, which are subsequently processed if necessary. It is thus also possible to produce short rod-shaped articles, for example heat-not burn articles, for example with an article length of 40 to 65mm, on a drum machine or filter tip attachment machine.

In an advantageous embodiment of the method, provision is made for: in the second conveying section, the rod-shaped articles are each cut into three article rod segments, and the transverse-axis-successively arranged article rod segments of the formed row are conveyed with a transverse-axis pitch which corresponds to one third of the transverse-axis pitch of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section before they are cut by the first cutting device of the second conveying section, or in the second conveying section, the rod-shaped articles are each cut into two article rod segments, and the transverse-axis-successively arranged article rod segments of the formed row are conveyed with a transverse-axis pitch which corresponds to half of the transverse-axis pitch of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section before they are cut by the first cutting device of the second conveying section.

In addition, a development of the method is characterized in that in the second conveying section the rod-shaped articles are cut into groups of article rod segments on a cutting drum by means of a first cutting device, wherein the groups of article rod segments are conveyed on the cutting drum of the second conveying section with the same transverse axial spacing corresponding to the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles before cutting in the second conveying section, and the groups of article rod segments are subsequently transferred onto a subsequent conveying drum of the second conveying section, wherein a first return staggered drum and a second return staggered drum are arranged in relation to the conveying direction of the article rod segments on the conveying drum, wherein in relation to the conveying direction of the groups of article rod segments from the conveying drum onto the first return staggered drum, a first article rod segment of the group of article rod segments is transferred in each case, and the article rod segments which are respectively returned to the conveying drum by the first return staggered drum are fed out into an empty receiving pocket of the conveying drum, and subsequently a second article rod segment of the group of article rod segments is transferred in each case from the conveying drum onto the second return staggered drum, and the article rod segments which are respectively returned to the conveying drum by the second return staggered drum are transferred into an empty receiving pocket of the conveying drum, wherein after the article rod segments conveyed by the first return staggered drum and the second return staggered drum are arranged in the empty receiving pocket of the conveying drum, the article rod segments are separated on the conveying drum and arranged in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum in succession transversely to the conveying direction and at the same transverse axial spacing, wherein the preferably constant transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction corresponds to the fraction or fraction of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section.

In this case, the conveying rollers with the first return staggered roller arranged thereon and the second return staggered roller arranged thereon are arranged in the second conveying section in the conveying direction of the article rod segments after the first cutting device. In this case, the cut groups of article rod segments are transferred from the cutting drum with the first cutting device onto or to a transfer drum with two back-indexing staggered drums. The individual article rod segments of the group of article rod segments are separated by means of the conveying drum and two back-indexing staggered drums and arranged one behind the other in the transverse axial direction, wherein the article rod segments are arranged in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum. After the article rod segments have been separated and arranged or rearranged in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum, they have a transverse axial spacing which is determined by the product of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles in the second conveying section (before cutting) multiplied by the number of grouped article rod segments of the article rod segments or the inverse number of the number of article rod segments respectively cut out of the rod-shaped articles (Kehrwert). On the transport drum, after the article rod segments have been returned from the second return staggered drum and before the article rod segments are transferred to the subsequent transport drum, the article rod segments are arranged in one (single) row next to one another in the receiving pockets of the transport drum in a transverse axial direction or in a staggered manner, for example, in a longitudinal axial direction.

Preferably, the transport drum has receiving pockets with a constant indexing pitch, on which the first and second return staggered drums are arranged, which corresponds to the transverse axial pitch of the successively arranged and separated article rod segments. The first and second return offset cylinders also each have a receiving pocket with the same graduation spacing, which corresponds to the graduation spacing of the receiving pockets of the transport cylinder. Preferably, the transfer drum has an even number of receiving pockets.

According to a further advantageous aspect of the invention, provision is made for: the or all transfer cylinders in the first and second and third transfer sections have an even number of receiving pockets, except for the first and second return staggered cylinders.

By indexing pitch is understood, for the transport drum, the transverse axial pitch of the receiving pockets in which the groups of smoking articles are arranged or transported. The (transverse axial) distance is measured from the pocket center point of the receiving pocket to the pocket center point of the adjacent receiving pocket of the pocket conveyor transporting the rod-shaped smoking articles (packets) on the surface, which pocket center point follows it, or from the pocket bottom to the pocket bottom in the case of, for example, prismatic receiving pockets. The pitch spacing in a drum conveyor (also referred to as a conveying drum) is the transverse axial spacing or length of the (circular) arc between (adjacent) pit centers on a circular line on which the pit centers or pit center axes of the pits are arranged.

If the separated article rod segments are offset axially in the longitudinal direction and arranged one behind the other in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum, for example in a staggered manner, by means of the return offset drum arranged thereon, then it is advantageous according to a development of the method if the separated article rod segments arranged laterally one behind the other are subsequently transferred from the conveying drum onto the pusher drum of the second conveying section and the article rod segments are pushed over the pusher drum and oriented in such a way that a single-row of article rod segments arranged laterally one behind the other is formed on the pusher drum.

If a single row of article rod segments, which are arranged at a uniform distance one behind the other in the transverse direction, is formed on the transport drum by means of the return-indexing staggered drum arranged thereon, which article rod segments are arranged in the receiving pockets of the transport drum before they are transferred to the subsequent transport drum, a configuration of the method is characterized in that the article rod segments are displaced in the longitudinal direction on the first return-indexing staggered drum during their transport and the article rod segments are displaced in the longitudinal direction on the second return-indexing staggered drum during their transport, and the separate article rod segments on the transport drum are oriented or arranged in the receiving pockets of the transport drum one behind the other in a single row in the transverse direction after the longitudinally displaced article rod segments are returned from the first return-indexing staggered drum and from the second return-indexing staggered drum.

For this purpose, in one embodiment of the method, it is advantageously provided that: when conveying groups of three article rod segments each, one of the two return indexing staggered drums has a number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments, which number corresponds to the sum (3 x n + 1; n is 1, 2, 3, …) of an integer multiple of 3 and the value 1, and the other of the two return indexing staggered drums has a number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments, which number corresponds to the difference (3 x m-1; m is 1, 2, 3, …) of an integer multiple of 3 and the value 1, or when conveying groups of two article rod segments each, the first return indexing staggered drum has an odd number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments, and the second return indexing staggered drum has an odd number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments.

For example, it is possible to provide that, when transporting groups of three article rod segments each, the first indexing staggered drum has an odd number of receiving pockets for article rod segments and the second indexing staggered drum has an even number of receiving pockets for article rod segments, or that, when transporting groups of three article rod segments each, the first indexing staggered drum has an even number of receiving pockets for article rod segments and the second indexing staggered drum has an odd number of receiving pockets for article rod segments.

According to a further aspect, a development of the method is characterized in that the single row of laterally successive article rod segments in the second conveying section and/or the single row of laterally successive article rod segments in the third conveying section are oriented centrally with respect to the cutting plane of the cutting device, in particular of the cutting knives, of preferably only one of the third conveying sections. In particular, the third conveying section has at least one conveying roller which is designed as a cutting roller and on which, as a cutting device, a cutting knife for cutting the article rod segments into article rod segment pieces is preferably arranged. Furthermore, the third transfer section of the transfer assembly may have further transfer rollers. The second conveying section of the conveying assembly ends in a conveying drum arranged upstream of the cutting drum, on which the article rod segments to be fed onto the cutting drum are conveyed one after the other in one (single) row, laterally and successively.

In addition, within the scope of the invention are provided: the third conveying section begins when the article rod segments arranged in a single row and behind one another in the transverse direction are transferred from a conveying drum to a cutting drum or a conveying drum with a cutting device. There may also be provided: downstream of the cutting drum or cutting device, further transport drums are provided which transport the cut article rod segments to an input device for inputting further components of the smoking article.

In an advantageous further development of the method, provision is furthermore made for: the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the longitudinal direction are preferably transferred from the rod maker to the at least one transverse-axial conveying roller of the first conveying section by means of a transfer device arranged upstream of the at least one conveying roller of the first conveying section.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that the transverse axial spacing between the rod-shaped articles to be cut and thus also the track speed of the rod-shaped articles are changed, that is to say increased or decreased, during the transfer of the rod-shaped articles to be cut from the first conveying section to the second conveying section, wherein subsequently during the conveying of the rod-shaped articles (rod-shaped articles, article rod segments, article rod segment blocks) in the second conveying section and the third conveying section the track speed of the rod-shaped articles is constant or remains constant before the input to the input device for the input of (further) smoking article components to the article rod segment blocks produced in the conveying assembly.

Further features of the invention can be seen from the description of an embodiment according to the invention in conjunction with the claims and the drawings. Individual features or combinations of features may be realized according to embodiments of the invention.

Drawings

Without limiting the general inventive concept, the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which reference is explicitly made to the drawings with regard to all details according to the invention which are not explained in detail in the description. Wherein:

fig. 1 schematically shows a simplified view of a drum machine according to a first design;

fig. 2 schematically shows a view of a transfer drum with two back-indexing staggered drums arranged thereon according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a view of a transfer drum having two indexing staggered drums disposed thereon according to another embodiment;

fig. 4 schematically shows a simplified view of a drum machine according to another design;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a view of a transfer drum having two indexing staggered drums disposed thereon according to another embodiment; and

fig. 6 schematically shows a view of a transfer drum having two indexing staggered drums disposed thereon according to another embodiment.

Detailed Description

Features which are characterized by "in particular" or "preferably" are understood to be optional features within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings, the same or similar elements and/or portions are provided with the same reference numerals, respectively, and thus, a repetitive description thereof will not be made.

In fig. 1, a simplified view of a drum machine T, such as a filter tip attachment machine 1, by means of which rod-shaped smoking articles are manufactured, is schematically shown. The roller machine T has a plurality of conveying sections FA1, FA2, FA3 with conveying rollers by which rod-shaped articles are conveyed in the transverse axial direction.

The tumbling machine T has a take-up drum 12, by means of which rod-shaped articles of multiple usable length, such as tobacco rods or filter rods, are taken up by a schematically indicated rod-forming machine S. For the multiple transfer of rod-shaped articles of multiple usable length, which are conveyed in the longitudinal direction in the rod-forming machine S, onto the receiving drum 12, a transfer conveyor (not shown here), such as a so-called star wheel or a pushing drum, is provided, so that rod-shaped articles conveyed in the longitudinal direction are transferred on the receiving drum 12 on the output side of the rod-forming machine S in the transverse direction.

The rod-shaped articles are conveyed on the receiving drum 12 in the transverse direction in the receiving pockets in the first conveying section FA1 at the first transverse pitch. The rod-shaped articles are then transferred from the receiving roller 12 to the following conveying roller 14 of the second conveying section FA 2. When the rod-shaped articles are transferred from the receiving drum 12 onto the conveying drum 14, the transverse axial spacing between the rod-shaped articles increases or decreases, so that the rod-shaped articles are braked or accelerated in terms of their trajectory speed in the second conveying section FA2 relative to their trajectory speed in the first conveying section FA 1.

Next to this, the rod-shaped articles are transferred from the transfer drum 14 onto the cutting drum 16. Cutting means in the form of a plurality of cutting knives 18 are provided on the cutting drum 16 for cutting rod-shaped articles of multiple length into a plurality of article rod segments. The cutting device may in this case have only one or more cutting knives 18. In the embodiment of the cutting device shown in fig. 1, two cutting knives 18 are provided in order to cut the rod-shaped articles into three article rod segments of the same length or into groups of three article rod segments of the same length. The grouping of article rod segments in the second conveying section FA2 is in this case conveyed on the cutting drum 16 at the same transverse axial spacing as the rod-shaped articles on the conveying drum 14 in the second conveying section FA 2.

After cutting the rod-shaped articles, the groups of article rod segments are transferred to the subsequent transfer drum 20. Disposed on the transport drum 20 are a first return staggered drum 22 and a second return staggered drum 24 for separating and rearranging correspondingly grouped article bar segments of the article bar segments for forming a row of article bar segments disposed one behind the other in a transverse axial direction in the receiving pockets of the transport drum 20 (see fig. 2 and 3).

The article rod segments of the row of article rod segments arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction on the conveying drum 20 are arranged in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum before being transferred to the subsequent conveying drum 26, which in this case have a transverse axial spacing relative to one another which corresponds to a fraction of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles on the conveying

drums

14, 16 in the second conveying section FA 2. In this case, the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments of the formed row corresponds to the product of the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments in the second conveying section FA2 multiplied by the inverse of the number of grouped article rod segments made up of article rod segments. That is, the transverse axial spacing of the divided article bar segments of the row corresponds to half or a third of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section FA2, if the rod-shaped articles are cut into two or three article bar segments by means of a cutting knife 18 or by means of two cutting knives 18. The rearrangement and formation of the rows of article rod segments on the transfer drum 20 is explained below with reference to fig. 2 and 3 (see below).

The rows of article rod segments formed on the transport drum 20 are formed such that the article rod segments are arranged in a staggered manner in the receiving pockets of the transport drum 20, that is to say with an offset in the longitudinal axial direction and in succession in the transverse axial direction (see fig. 2 and 3).

These article rod segments are transferred by the transfer drum 20 onto a subsequent transfer drum 26, which is preferably configured as a pusher drum. In this case, the separate article rod segments are displaced and oriented on the transport drum 26 in the longitudinal direction, so that the article rod segments are arranged on the transport drum 26 in a single row of article rod segments arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction. The article rod segments arranged in a single row are then handed off from transfer drum 26 to a subsequent transfer drum 28 in the second transfer section FA 2. In the second conveying section FA2, after the article rod segments on conveying rollers 20 are separated and rearranged, the article rod segments on conveying

rollers

26, 28 are conveyed with the same transverse axial spacing corresponding to the product of the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments in the second conveying section FA2 multiplied by the inverse of the number of grouped article rod segments comprised of article rod segments.

From the transfer drum 28, the article rod segments are transferred onto a subsequent cutting drum 30, in which a cutting knife 32 is arranged for centrally cutting the oriented single row of successively arranged article rod segments, so that two article rod segment blocks are formed from the article rod segments, respectively. After the article rod segments have been cut into article rod segment pieces, the cut groups of article rod segment pieces are handed over to a subsequent transfer drum 34, on which the cut article rod segments are transferred in pairs and subsequently transferred towards and onto an assembly drum 36.

The drum machine T has an input device Z for inputting (further) rod-shaped article rod segments or articles which are conveyed towards the assembly drum 36, so that rod-shaped smoking articles are produced on the assembly drum 36, which are subsequently wrapped with a strip of wrapping material.

In accordance with the present invention, in the third conveying section FA3, the article rod segments and the article rod segment pieces are conveyed at the same transverse axial spacing as the article rod segments on the conveying

rollers

26, 28.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a view of the transfer drum 20 of the second transfer section FA2, on which the return staggered

drums

22, 24 are arranged. The cut packets of article rod segments 100 are handed off from the cutting drum 16 to the receiving pockets of the transfer drum 20. The article rod segment group 100 has three

article rod segments

101, 102 and 103, respectively, which are arranged side by side in the receiving pockets of the transfer drum 20. The article rod segment grouping 100 is shown schematically to the right of the transfer drum 20.

The article rod segment groups 100 are conveyed in the direction of the rotating return staggered drum 22 transversely to the axial direction, wherein the article rod segments 101 are respectively received by the return staggered drum 22 into receiving pockets of the return staggered drum 22 and are then arranged in empty receiving pockets of the conveying drum 20 behind the receiving pockets of the conveying drum 20 in which the article rod segment groups 100 are arranged. Subsequently, the group of article rod segments 101 with

article rod segments

102, 103, which is reduced and the article rod segments 101 arranged behind it at the transverse axial distance, are then conveyed in the direction of the second return staggered drum 24.

By means of the back-indexing staggered drum 24, the article rod segments 103 are respectively received into the receiving pockets from the group with the

article rod segments

102, 103, while the intermediate article rod segment 102 of the group remains on the transfer drum 20. When the article rod segments 103 are returned to the transport drum 20, the returned article rod segments 103 are placed behind the article rod segments 101 with respect to the transport direction of the article rod segments into empty receiving pockets of the transport drum 20. After the article rod segments 103 have been returned into the empty receiving pockets of the conveying drum 20, the

article rod segments

101, 102, 103 are separated in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum 20 and arranged laterally one behind the other in a staggered manner, wherein the lateral spacing between the

article rod segments

101, 102, 103 corresponds to one third of the lateral spacing of the article rod segment groups 100 during their transport over the cutting drum 16 in the second conveying section FA2 and during their transport over the conveying drum 20 in the region between the receiving article rod segment groups 100 and the receiving article rod segments 102 by means of the return conveying drum 22. The

article rod segments

101, 102, 103 are then transferred from the transfer drum 20 to the subsequent pusher drum 26 or transfer drum, on which the longitudinally offset

article rod segments

101, 102, 103 are pushed in the longitudinal direction and oriented in such a way that a single row of article rod segments is formed, which are arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction.

During the transfer of the article rod segments 101 by means of the return-indexing staggered roller 22 and during the transfer of the article rod segments 103 on the return-indexing staggered roller 24, the

article rod segments

101, 103 are not displaced in the longitudinal axial direction.

In the embodiment in fig. 2 of the return staggered

rollers

22, 24, the first return staggered roller 22 has an odd number of receiving pockets for article rod segments 101. The second indexing staggered drum 24 has an even number of receiving pockets for article rod segments 103.

In the embodiment of fig. 2, the article rod segment grouping 100 is comprised of three

article rod segments

101, 102, 103. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the rod-shaped articles are cut centrally on the cutting drum 16 by means of the cutting blade 18, so that a group of two

article rod segments

101, 102 is formed from the group 100 of article rod segments (see fig. 3).

By means of the back-indexing staggered drum 22, the article rod segments 101 are received by the transfer drum 20 and are subsequently arranged into empty receiving pockets of the transfer drum 20 behind the article rod segments 101 remaining on the transfer drum 20. Next, the separated

article rod segments

101, 102 are transferred to a second return indexing staggered drum 24, wherein the article rod segments 102 are inserted into the empty receiving pockets of the transfer drum 20 by means of the return indexing staggered drum 24. After the article rod segments 102 are indexed back between the indexing staggering roller 24 and the transfer of the separated

article rod segments

101, 102 to the subsequent transfer roller 26, the

article rod segments

101, 102 are arranged on the transfer roller 20 at uniform intervals in the transverse axial direction. In this case, the transverse axial spacing of the separate

article rod segments

101, 102 corresponds to half the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segment groups 100 on the cutting drum 16 and on the transfer drum 20.

The separate

article rod segments

101, 102 transferred from the transfer drum 20 to the transfer drum 26 are offset one behind the other in the transverse axial direction and are arranged offset in the longitudinal axial direction. On the conveying drum 26, which is designed as a pusher drum, the longitudinally offset

article rod segments

101, 102 are oriented in the receiving pockets, so that a single row of

article rod segments

101, 102, which are arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction, is formed on the pusher drum 26.

Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of a roller machine T, which is modified with respect to the exemplary embodiment in fig. 1 in such a way that it does not have a pusher roller 26 and a transfer roller 28 in a second transfer section FA2 (see fig. 1). In this embodiment of the drum machine T, the transport drum 20 is provided with a single row of article rod segments, which are arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction and are separated in the receiving pockets of the transport drum 20, by means of the back-indexing

staggering drums

22, 24. In other respects, the conveying process on the conveying rollers of the conveying sections FA1, FA2, FA3 is correspondingly the same as in the embodiment in fig. 1.

The formation of single-file rows of article rod segments on the transfer drum 20 is explained subsequently with respect to the embodiment in fig. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 schematically shows a view of the transfer cylinder 20 with the return offset

cylinders

22, 24 arranged thereon. This embodiment essentially corresponds to the embodiment in fig. 2, with the difference that on the first return staggered drum 22 the article rod segments 101 are pushed in the longitudinal axial direction, so that the article rod segments 101 conveyed back are arranged in the transverse axial direction directly behind the article rod segments 102 in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum. This is shown schematically below the transfer drum 20.

As the transport of the

article rod segments

102, 103 and 101 continues on the transport drum 20, the corresponding article rod segment 103 is received by the return indexing drum 24 in the receiving pocket of the return transport drum 24 and is pushed in the longitudinal axial direction during the return indexing onto the transport drum 20 and is arranged in the empty receiving pocket of the transport drum 20, so that after the return indexing of the separated article rod segments 103 onto the transport drum 20, the

article rod segments

101, 102, 103 are arranged one behind the other in a single row. Next, the individual rows of separate

article rod segments

101, 102, 103 arranged one behind the other are transferred to a subsequent cutting drum 30, so that the article rod segment pieces are cut out of the article rod segments by cutting centrally through the

article rod segments

101, 102, 103.

In the exemplary embodiment in fig. 6, the difference from the exemplary embodiment in fig. 3 is that the article rod segments 101 and the article rod segments 102 are pushed over the respective return offset

drum

22 or 24 in the longitudinal axial direction during their transport over the return offset

drum

22 or 24, so that after the respective

article rod segments

101, 102 are returned, they are oriented centrally with respect to the cutting plane of the cutting knives 32 on the cutting drum 30. Furthermore, the transverse axial spacing between the

article rod segments

101, 102 arranged in a single row one behind the other is equidistant before the

article rod segments

101, 102 are transferred onto the cutting drum 30. In the embodiment in fig. 3 and 6, the return indexing staggered

cylinders

22, 24 have an odd number of receiving pockets for the

article rod segments

101, 102, respectively.

All the mentioned features, also features which are to be understood individually from the figures and also features which are disclosed individually in combination with one another, are considered to be essential for the invention individually and in combination. Embodiments according to the present invention may be realized by any combination of individual features or a plurality of features.

List of reference numerals

12 receiving roller

14 transfer roller

16 cutting drum

18 cutting knife

20 transfer roller

22 back-leading staggered roller

24 back-leading staggered roller

26 transfer roller

28 transfer roller

30 cutting drum

32 cutter

34 transfer roller

36 assembling roller

100 article rod segment grouping

101. 102, 103 article rod segments

FA1 first transfer section

FA2 second transfer section

FA3 third transfer section

S slivering machine

T-shaped roller machine

Z input device

Claims

1. Method for producing rod-shaped smoking articles on a drum machine (T) of the tobacco processing industry, wherein rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry are arranged one behind the other in a transverse axis in receiving pockets of rotating conveyor drums (12, 14, 16, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 34) of a conveyor assembly for conveying rod-shaped articles in a transverse axis direction and are conveyed in a transverse axis conveying direction by rotation of the conveyor drums, and wherein the rod-shaped articles are transferred from a conveyor drum that delivers articles to a conveyor drum that receives articles in a corresponding transfer region between two conveyor drums, wherein the rod-shaped articles are conveyed in a first conveying section (FA 1) on at least one conveyor drum (12) in a transverse axis direction at a first transverse axis spacing between the rod-shaped articles, wherein the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the transverse axis direction in the first conveying section (FA 1) are subsequently conveyed on a first cutting device (18) configured on the conveyor drum machine Conveying in a second conveying section (FA 2), wherein the transverse axial spacing between the rod-shaped articles is increased or decreased upon or after the rod-shaped articles are transferred from the first conveying section (FA 1) onto the second conveying section (FA 2), wherein in the second conveying section (FA 2) the rod-shaped articles are cut into a plurality of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) by means of a first cutting device (18) of the second conveying section (FA 2), and after the rod-shaped articles are cut into article rod segments (101, 102, 103), the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are formed in the second conveying section (FA 2) as a row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged one behind the other in a transverse axial direction, wherein the formed row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103), 102. 103) corresponds to a fraction or a fraction of the transverse axial spacing of rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section (FA 2), wherein the transverse axial spacing of the formed rows of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the second conveying section (FA 2) is determined by the product of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles in the second conveying section (FA 2) multiplied by the inverse of the number of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) cut out of the rod-shaped articles, respectively, and wherein subsequently the transverse axial, successively arranged article rod segments (101, 102, 103) of the second conveying section (FA 2) are transferred onto a third conveying section (FA 3) configured with second cutting means (32), wherein in the third conveying section (FA 3) the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are cut out into a plurality of article rod segments, respectively, wherein in the third conveying section (FA 3) the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) and the article rod segment pieces are conveyed with a transverse axial spacing corresponding to the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) of the formed row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the second conveying section (FA 2), and the article rod segment pieces are then conveyed with the same constant transverse axial spacing to an input device (Z) for inputting smoking article components to the article rod segment pieces conveyed by the conveying drum.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the second conveying section (FA 2) the rod-shaped articles are cut into three article rod segments (101, 102, 103), respectively, and that the transverse-axis-consecutively arranged article rod segments (101, 102, 103) of the formed row are conveyed with a transverse-axis spacing corresponding to one third of the transverse-axis spacing of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section (FA 2) before being cut by the first cutting means (18) of the second conveying section (FA 2), or in the second conveying section (FA 2) the rod-shaped articles are cut into two article rod segments (101, 102, 103), respectively, and that the transverse-axis of the formed row is conveyed with a transverse-axis-wise spacing to the successively arranged article rod segments (101, 102, 103), the transverse axial spacing corresponds to half of the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section (FA 2) before being cut by the first cutting means (18) of the second conveying section (FA 2).

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped articles are conveyed laterally over at least one conveyor drum (12) in a first conveying section (FA 1) with a constant first lateral distance between the rod-shaped articles.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the second conveying section (FA 2) the rod-shaped articles are cut into two or three article rod segments (101, 102, 103) by means of the first cutting device (18) of the second conveying section (FA 2).

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that after cutting the rod-shaped articles into article rod segments (101, 102, 103), the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are formed in the second conveying section (FA 2) as a single-row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged one behind the other in a transverse axial direction.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the transverse axial constant pitch of the article bar segments (101, 102, 103) of the formed rows of article bar segments (101, 102, 103) corresponds to a fraction or fraction of the transverse axial pitch of the rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section (FA 2).

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a single row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged laterally one after the other is handed over from the second conveying section (FA 2) to a third conveying section (FA 3) configured with a second cutting device (32).

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein in the third transfer section (FA 3) the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are cut into two article rod segment pieces and/or are cut centrally, respectively.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the third conveying section (FA 3), the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) and the article rod segment blocks are conveyed with a constant transverse axial spacing corresponding to the transverse axial spacing of the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) of the formed single-row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) or the transverse axial spacing of the formed row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the second conveying section (FA 2).

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the second conveying section (FA 2) the rod-shaped articles are cut on a cutting drum (16) by means of the first cutting device (18) into groups of article rod segments (101, 102, 103), respectively, wherein the groups of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are conveyed on the cutting drum (16) of the second conveying section (FA 2) with the same transverse axial spacing, which corresponds to the transverse axial spacing of the rod-shaped articles before the cutting, and the groups of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are subsequently transferred onto a subsequent conveying drum (20) of the second conveying section (FA 2), wherein, with regard to the conveying direction of the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) on this conveying drum (20), arranging a first return staggered drum (22) and a second return staggered drum (24), wherein a first article rod segment (101) of the group (100) of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) is each transferred in relation to the direction of transport of the group (100) of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) from the transport drum (20) onto the first return staggered drum (22), and wherein an article rod segment (101) transferred back to the transport drum (20) by the first return staggered drum (22) is fed into an empty receiving pocket of the transport drum (20), and wherein a second article rod segment (101, 102) of the group (100) of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) is subsequently transferred from the transport drum (20) onto the second return staggered drum (24), and wherein an article segment (103) transferred back to the transport drum (20) by the second return staggered drum (24) is transferred back to the transport drum (20), 102) Into an empty receiving pocket of the conveying drum (20), wherein, after the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) conveyed by the first and second return staggered rollers (22, 24) have been arranged into the empty receiving pocket of the conveying drum (20), the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are separated on the conveying drum (20) and arranged in the receiving pocket of the conveying drum (20) at a transverse axial distance one behind the other in relation to the conveying direction, wherein the transverse axial distance of the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged one behind the other in the transverse axial direction corresponds to the portion or fraction of the transverse axial distance of the rod articles conveyed in the second conveying section (FA 2).

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the transverse axial constant pitch of the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged in transverse axial succession corresponds to said fraction or fraction of the transverse axial pitch of rod-shaped articles conveyed in the second conveying section (FA 2).

12. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that separate article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction are transferred from the conveying drum (20) subsequently to a pusher drum (26) of the second conveying section (FA 2), and in that the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are pushed over the pusher drum (26) and oriented in such a way that a single-row of article rod segments (101, 102, 103) arranged one behind the other in the transverse direction is formed on the pusher drum (26).

13. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are displaced in the longitudinal direction on the first return staggered drum (22) during their conveyance and the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are displaced in the longitudinal direction on the second return staggered drum (24) during their conveyance, and that after the longitudinally displaced article rod segments (101, 102, 103) are returned from the first return staggered drum (22) and from the second return staggered drum (24), the separate article rod segments (101, 102, 103) on the conveying drum (20) are oriented or arranged in a single row in succession in the receiving pockets of the conveying drum (20) in the transverse direction.

14. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that when conveying groups (100) of three article rod segments (101, 102, 103) each, one of the two return indexing staggered rollers (22, 24) has a number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) corresponding to the sum (3 x n + 1) of an integer multiple of 3 and the value 1, n being 1, 2, 3, …, and the other of the two return indexing staggered rollers (22, 24) has a number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments (101, 102, 103) corresponding to the difference (3 x m-1) of an integer multiple of 3 and the value 1, m being 1, 2, 3, …), or when conveying groups (100) of two article rod segments (101, 102) each, the first return staggered drum (22) has an odd number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments (101, 102, 103), and the second return staggered drum (24) has an odd number of receiving pockets for the article rod segments (101, 102, 103).

15. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the single row of laterally consecutive article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the second conveying section (FA 2) and/or the single row of laterally consecutive article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the third conveying section (FA 3) are oriented centrally with respect to the cutting plane of the cutting device (32) in the third conveying section (FA 3).

16. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that the single row of laterally consecutive article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the second conveying section (FA 2) and/or the single row of laterally consecutive article rod segments (101, 102, 103) in the third conveying section (FA 3) are oriented centrally with respect to the cutting plane of only one cutting device (32) in the third conveying section (FA 3).

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the cutting device (32) is configured as a cutting knife (32).

18. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that rod-shaped articles conveyed with a longitudinal axis are handed over from a rod maker (S) to at least one conveying roller (12) conveyed with a transverse axis of the first conveying section (FA 1) by means of a transfer device arranged upstream of the at least one conveying roller (12) of the first conveying section (FA 1).

19. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that rod-shaped articles conveyed with a longitudinal axis are handed over from a rod maker (S) to at least one conveying drum (12) conveyed with a transverse axis of the first conveying section (FA 1) by means of a transfer device arranged upstream of the at least one conveying drum (12) of the first conveying section (FA 1).