EP1402791B1 - Conveying articles of the tobacco-processing industry - Google Patents

Abstract

Each transport groove has a central suction connection (12,22) to hold the cigarette (15) in the groove. Each suction connection is connected to a slit or cutout (14,24) in the bottom of the groove. The rotations of the two transport cylinders (10,20) are synchronized so that the cigarettes may be transferred one-by-one from the first to the second cylinder. There are pressure connections (12,13,21,23) in the two drums at the ends of the cigarettes. They may be supplied with air (18) to release the cigarettes from the grooves.

Description

The invention relates to a method for conveying rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, in particular cigarettes, wherein an article is transferred from a first conveyor drum to a second conveyor drum, the article is subjected to the transfer of a movement shock by applying blown air by a Saugluftbohrung to that during the promotion on the conveyor drum a holding vacuum was applied, is applied in the transfer area with blowing air.

Under rod-shaped articles of the tobacco-processing industry are understood in the present context, such objects that are held in single-ply row by suction on conveyors, such as. On conveyor drums in cigarette manufacturing machines, and promoted by these. Such articles are filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, filter rods, etc. If, in the following, for the sake of simplicity, only cigarettes are mentioned, the statements made quite correspondingly also apply to other articles of the aforementioned type to be conveyed.

In a cigarette machine, cigarettes in a single-ply row are held with suction air transversely to their axial direction on conveyor drums, which are primarily drums of cigarette manufacturing machines or of filter attachment machines. For this purpose, the conveyor drums have in their peripheral surface suction air openings which are in communication with a vacuum source. The transfer of cigarettes from one conveyor to the next takes place i.d.R. in that in the respective dispensing, first conveyor, the holding air is interrupted in the transfer area, while it is turned on at each receiving, second conveyor. For interrupting the holding air in the transfer region forming peripheral portion of the first conveyor fixed control segments are arranged in its interior, which cover the Saugluftöffnungen the conveyor in this section and thereby separate from the negative pressure.

In the document Research Disclosure June 1978, 17011, a device for gently separating rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is described, wherein in a transfer area a conveyor is assigned a controllable compressed air supply, so that a auszusondernder article by means of a compressed air pulse from a recording of the conveyor in a Recording a discharge conveyor can be transferred. In the transfer area a throttle for reducing the holding vacuum is formed in the first conveyor, so that a cigarette is blown off with compressed air against the reduced negative pressure in the retaining holes of the dispensing drum.

In the patent U.S. 4,452,255 Applicant discloses a cigarette transfer from a drum to the subsequent drum. For cigarette transfer the holding vacuum is switched off on the first drum. If a defective or a cigarette for Sampling on the first drum remain, so compressed air is blown from the receiving trough to the donor trough and thus reduces the vacuum in the receiving trough. At the same time compressed air is fed from the same source of compressed air to an injector, which generates a negative pressure in the dispensing trough of the first drum, so that the cigarette remains in the dispensing trough during further conveying.

Furthermore, in GB-A-1 078 229 a device for conveying rod-shaped articles or cigarettes is described, wherein during the transfer of a cigarette from a first conveyor drum to a subsequent conveyor drum, the cigarette to be dispensed is acted upon by the second conveyor drum with negative pressure during the transfer. Inside the second conveyor drum, a control body is provided, by means of which the applied negative pressure in the recordings is connected accordingly. During or during the transfer of a cigarette, the negative pressure is applied to the receiving trough of the conveyor drum. Upon delivery of the cigarette to the subsequent conveyor drum, atmospheric pressure is applied to the suction line of the conveyor drum.

In the European patent specification EP-B-0 584 774 a cigarette transfer from a trough conveyor to a sampling drum is described. Here, the negative pressure of the receiving trough of the sampling drum is greater than the negative pressure of the dispensing trough of the drum conveyor.

A disadvantage of the transport of cigarettes with takeovers and levies is the consumption of air. The generation and transport of these air quantities leads to an enormous noise emission and to a high energy requirement.

Based on this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the consumption of air, at the same time a noise reduction and / or a reduction of pollution to be achieved.

The solution of the problem consists in a method of the type mentioned is that the article is subjected to negative pressure only after recording in a receiving trough of the second conveyor drum. According to the invention, the consumption of suction air on the conveyor drums and in the machine is thereby reduced overall. At the same time, the contamination by tobacco crumbs or dust particles due to less suction air is also limited because the negative pressure on the second conveyor drum is switched on only after the cigarette is in the trough of the conveyor drum. In addition, the pollution is reduced by tobacco crumbs or dust particles, as the crumbs and the particles are not sucked through the suction hole during the transfer of the article. Furthermore, the noise emission is significantly reduced, since no more "pop" sounds when passing the article arise. The "pop" sounds in the prior art machines have heretofore been caused by closing a suction bore with an article to which a vacuum has been applied.

In particular, the article is subjected to the transfer with a movement shock. In this case, a cigarette is pushed away from the first conveyor drum in the transfer area, wherein the movement impact is initiated and triggered by or on the first conveyor drum. Therefore, it is not necessary that, for example. At the donor of a conveyor drum opposite and receiving trough of the subsequent conveyor drum, a holding vacuum is present to suck the cigarette to be handed over. The movement impulse of the cigarette therefore does not arise through the second Conveyor drum, but rather only by the first conveyor drum. Since a sucking negative pressure is dispensed with on the second conveyor drum in this case, the air consumption of suction air is reduced. In addition, the sound level is lowered by the ejection of the cigarette from the first conveyor drum.

In addition, it is provided that the movement shock takes place by applying blown air. For this purpose, for example, a suction air hole, on which a holding vacuum was applied to the drum during conveyance, is acted upon in the transfer area with blown air. As a result, the cigarette experiences a motion pulse, so that the cigarette is moved to the second drum. The same Saugluftbohrung is applied to promote cigarettes with vacuum and in the transfer position with air. As a result, the design effort is significantly reduced.

In an advantageous embodiment of the movement shock occurs after the generation of a bias in the article. In order to achieve the bias of the cigarette, without the cigarette is bent or curved, the trough of a conveyor drum may have a trough slot, wherein under application of a holding vacuum, the cigarette is tensioned. Overall, this reduces the consumption of suction air and thus also the noise level.

In addition, the invention provides that the bias is generated by the fact that the article is partially subjected to the delivery of blast air, so that it is easier to release a cigarette from the receiving trough when transferring from the trough.

In addition, the article is designed for gentle, i. gently handed over.

Furthermore, if, to transfer the article, the vacuum, i. the holding vacuum is switched off on the first conveyor drum, the consumption of suction air can also be reduced. The use of less suction air and less dust is moved on and in the machine, so that there is a functional improvement. The pollution is thus significantly reduced.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the vacuum of the first conveyor drum is reduced before the transfer. As a result, the consumption of suction air is further reduced and achieved a favorable operation of the machine.

It is particularly advantageous when fresh air is used as blown air. The term "fresh air" means, in particular, purified air or suction air of a machine, e.g. a cigarette making machine or from their environment, sucked air understood. This improves the energy balance. At the same time, the burden of dust particles is reduced. According to the invention, a targeted and controlled supply of clean fresh air to and into the machine. In addition, the fresh air can also be performed in a closed circuit of a cigarette manufacturing machine.

The object of the invention has the advantage that overall the air consumption and the noise emission of a machine operated therewith are reduced.

Fig. 1

im Ausschnitt einen Längsschnitt durch zwei Fördertrommeln im Übergabebereich;

Fig. 2

einen Querschnitt durch die Fördertrommeln (Fig. 1);

Fig. 3

einen Querschnitt durch Fördertrommeln im Übergabebereich gem. dem Stand der Technik und

Fig. 4

einen Querschnitt von zwei Fördertrommeln im Übergabebereich.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and without limitation of the general inventive concept, with all the details of the invention not described in detail in the text is expressly made to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

in section a longitudinal section through two conveyor drums in the transfer area;

Fig. 2

a cross section through the conveyor drums ( Fig. 1 );

Fig. 3

a cross section through conveyor drums in the transfer area acc. the state of the art and

Fig. 4

a cross section of two conveyor drums in the transfer area.

In the following drawings, the same elements are provided with the same reference numerals, so that apart from a new idea.

In Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a section of an article 15 donating conveyor drum 10 and an article 15 receiving conveyor drum 20 shown in a transfer area 30. The conveyor drum 10 has bores 11, 12, 13 on its circumference. The holes 11, 13 are blow holes and are supplied with fresh air. On the conveyor drum 11, a cigarette 15 is held by means of a voltage applied to the suction bore 12 holding vacuum during transport. The suction bore 15 has to the outside of the drum to a broadening in the form of a slot 14 of the trough. Through the trained slot 14 which can be acted upon by negative pressure Surface for holding the cigarette 15 increases.

The receiving conveyor drum 20 also has bores 21, 22, 23 which are functionally analogous to the bores 11, 12, 13 of the conveyor drum 20 are formed. Since the two conveyor drums 10, 20 may be identical, the suction hole 22 also has a longitudinal-axial widening or a slot 24 of the trough on the outside of the drum 20.

At the time of transfer, the blow holes 11, 13 of the conveyor drum 10 are supplied with fresh air 18. In the transfer time or in the transfer area 30, blowing air or fresh air is also applied through the suction bore 12, so that the cigarette 15 is pushed by the drum 10 toward the drum 20. In order to trigger the movement of the cigarette 15, it is not necessary that a negative pressure is applied to the bores 21, 22, 23 of the conveyor drum 20.

The movement of the cigarette 15 from the drum 10 to the drum 20 may also be triggered by holding the cigarette 15 by the vacuum applied to the suction bore 12 at the slot 14 of the well. Upon reaching the transfer point, the holding vacuum is switched off and fresh air is applied to the bore 12. As a result, the prestressed cigarette 15 separates from the trough and flies from the conveyor drum 10 to the conveyor drum 20th

In Fig. 2 is a cross section through the conveyor drums 10, 20 in the transition region 30 (s. Fig. 1 ).

In Fig. 3 the transfer of cigarettes 15 from a conveyor drum 10 to a further conveyor drum 20 according to the prior art is shown. In the transfer area 30 is located on the receiving conveyor drum 20 at the suction hole of the trough to a vacuum, so that the cigarette 15 is drawn from the receiving trough of the conveyor drum 10 into the receiving trough of the conveyor drum 20. In the transfer area 30, in addition to the cigarette 15, flying dust particles and tobacco crumbs 35 are also sucked in by the vacuum applied to the channel 27 of the conveyor drum 20. In addition, tobacco crumbs 35 also enter channels and inlets, as shown in the channel 17 of the conveyor drum 10. The tobacco crumbs 35 lead to a continuous reduction of the efficiency as a function of the production time. To compensate for the loss of efficiency, a higher negative pressure is generated and applied in the channel 27. This leads to an overall increase in the air flow. In addition, the contamination by tobacco crumbs leads to higher flow resistance.

In Fig. 4 is a cross section through an inventive arrangement of two conveyor drums 10, 20 shown in the transition region 30. The vent channel 17 of the conveyor drum 10 is supplied with fresh air, so that the cigarette 15 is moved from the donating conveyor drum 10 to the receiving conveyor drum 20. By the fresh air also the conveyor drum 10 is kept free from flying tobacco crumbs.

In order to prevent tobacco crumbs enforce the conveyor drum 20, the invention provides that only after receiving the cigarette 15 in the receiving trough of the conveyor drum 20, the holding vacuum on the channel 27 is applied. Under continuous movement of the conveyor drum 20 and when in the receiving trough cigarette 15 while the vacuum is switched on after the acquisition or transition of the cigarette 15 to the conveyor drum 20.

According to the invention, an air savings by clean retaining holes is provided so that the contamination of machine parts, in particular of conveyor drums, is reduced by the application of fresh air and their targeted supply, thereby saving on the required suction air and the required negative pressure is achieved ,

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

conveyor drum

11

Blasbohrung

12

suction bore

13

Blasbohrung

14

slot

15

Cigarette

17

channel

18

fresh air

20

conveyor drum

21

Blasbohrung

22

suction bore

23

Blasbohrung

24

slot

27

channel

30

Transfer area

35

tobacco crumbs

Claims (6)

1. Method of conveying rod-shaped articles (15) of the tobacco-processing industry, in particular cigarettes, wherein an article (15) is transferred from a first conveying drum (10) to a second conveying drum (20), the article (15) for transfer purposes is lent momentum by virtue of being loaded with blown air in that a suction air bore, to which a retaining vacuum was applied during conveying on the first conveying drum (10), is acted upon in the transfer region by blown air, characterized in that the article (15) is acted upon by a vacuum only after being received in a receiving trough of the second conveying drum (20).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the momentum occurs after an initial tension has been generated in the article (15).
3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the initial tension is generated in that the article (15) prior to the transfer is partially acted upon by blown air (18).
4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that for the transfer of the article (15) the vacuum of the first conveying drum (10) is switched off.
5. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that prior to the transfer the vacuum at the conveying drum (10) is reduced.
6. Method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, as blown air (18), in particular purified air or suction air of a machine of the tobacco-processing industry or air taken in from the environment of a machine of the tobacco-processing industry is used.

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