EP1611803A2 - Tobacco processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly (10) to process tobacco and intermediate products has a number of processing stages, with at least two in succession, and a hot steam dryer (20). The assembly has a conveyor belt (11), tobacco cutter (12), drop shaft (13), and intermediate tobacco store (15) and an oscillating conveyor trough (19), at different height levels in the configuration in front of the dryer. The tobacco moves horizontally in and out of the dryer and/or without an elevator mechanism.

Description

The invention relates to a tobacco processing plant with several tobacco processing facilities for tobacco and tobacco processing intermediates and a steam dryer for tobacco.

Tobacco becomes relatively strong after harvest, i. dried to a residual moisture content of about 9% to 12% and usually for shipping in cuboid or cylindrical bales or packages pressed, with other forms of compression are possible. The tobacco may be pure vorentripptes Blattgut (without significant rib portions). The removed before drying ribs, which are processed separately and the leaf tobacco mixed again, can also be pressed and shipped in a dry state. The pressed and relatively dry raw tobacco can be stored in this state for a long time.

If this relatively dry tobacco to smoke products, such as cigarettes are processed, it is necessary in the known processing methods and tobacco processing plants, the individual leaves (or pieces of leaves) or ribs (or pieces of ribs) in the pressed bales to separate from each other again and to separate. Since the leaves strongly adhere to each other and are very dry, making them fragile and very sensitive to mechanical effects, the loosening must be gentle. The most common method of loosening today is to place the bale in a vacuum chamber and to supply steam through one or more mandrels that are driven into the bale which, because of the vacuum prevailing outside, flows outwardly heating and humidifying the tobacco.

For the preparation of the harvested tobacco leaves, several treatment steps are carried out, so that cut tobacco or fine tobacco cut is provided for further processing in cigarette manufacturing machines at the end of the treatment process. Cut tobacco usually undergoes a treatment prior to its final compound, which essentially comprises the steps of: moistening and sifting the tobacco, cutting the tobacco, conditioning the tobacco by preheating and moistening, drying the tobacco in a separate dryer, screening and cooling the tobacco, and Flavoring of tobacco.

The published patent applications DE-A-39 08 937 and DE-A-39 08 939 disclose processes for the production of cut tobacco.

Moreover, document DE-A-197 56 217 discloses a method for the treatment of fine-cut tobacco, wherein the individual treatment steps are explicitly carried out, so that reference is explicitly made to this document.

The main process steps in the tobacco processing or in the so-called primary process consist of dissolving and conditioning the tobacco and addition of additives, separating and cutting the tobacco, drying and blending. In addition, ancillary process steps can be performed in addition. These secondary process steps consist in the selection of undissolved parts, metal and foreign bodies. In addition, there is a secondary process step by expanding the tobacco.

These process steps are used in so-called process elements, e.g. Dissolving and conditioning drums, mixing boxes, classifying devices, drying drums, etc. executed.

Furthermore, devices for treating tobacco in a conditioning medium, preferably in superheated steam, are known in the art. The treatment of the tobacco with superheated steam is used to dry the tobacco. With the help of such devices all cut tobacco species, so for example, cigar insert and cold, impregnated with gas Schnitttabak be dried. Before drying usually takes place an expansion of the tobacco with saturated steam. The expansion increases the filling capacity of the tobacco. The subsequent drying of the tobacco ensures a further increased filling capacity of the dried end product.

Such a device for expanding and drying tobacco with the aid of saturated steam and superheated steam is sold by Hauni Maschinenbau AG under the product name "HDT Heißdampfrockner". In addition, DE 197 34 364 of Hauni Maschinenbau AG discloses a method and a device for applying a conditioning medium to tobacco. In this case, the used for expanding the tobacco Saturated steam is fed to the tobacco through a rotating Winnover roller with radial steam jets that produce a rotating jet curtain for the tobacco. The Winnover roller is also used to spin the thus expanded tobacco through an adjacent opening in a traversed by superheated steam steam dryer in which it gives off moisture to the superheated steam used.

In general, the process elements of the primary process are usually performed on a horizontal surface. In order to bring the tobacco or the tobacco intermediates after passing through a process element or a processing function unit to another process element or a further processing function unit, belt conveyor systems are provided which promote the tobacco and the tobacco intermediates over long distances to the respective process components or functional units. In the process components, a treatment then takes place, wherein the treated tobacco product leaves the process component usually at a lower height level, so that it then has to be promoted back to the next process component to a higher level. For such a tobacco processing plant a total of a plurality of delivery components, e.g. Conveyor belts required, the individual process components are very far apart and thus spatially separated.

Based on this prior art, it is an object of the present invention to build a tobacco processing plant compact as little as possible.

This object is achieved by means of a tobacco processing plant with several tobacco processing facilities for tobacco and tobacco processing intermediates and a hot steam dryer for tobacco, which is further developed by at least two in the processing process provided in succession Tabakaufbereitungseinrichtungen are provided, which are mutually different in vertical height and coupled hochförderorganfrei with each other, the tobacco processing facilities are arranged in the preparation process in front of the hot steam dryer.

Because the process components or tobacco processing devices are arranged stepwise and / or sloping in different horizontal planes or levels in the process direction of the tobacco to be treated, it is possible to transfer the tobacco material directly from one process component to the next process component, without any intervening switched transport element for conveying up the tobacco material is required. As a result, the tobacco processing equipment directly with each other, preferably in descending height of the height level, and without hochförderndes conveying member therebetween, i. hochförderorganfrei, connected. Thus, a vertical arrangement of tobacco processing equipment in several levels is reached one above the other. This results in a tobacco processing plant with a small footprint or base area.

Because the tobacco processing plant has a hot steam dryer for tobacco, which may have a height between 10 m to 30 m, this height of the vertically arranged steam dryer is used accordingly, since the tobacco processing facilities are arranged in several floors next to the steam dryer. Overall, this results in a better use of space, since the arrangement of tobacco processing equipment is adapted to the height of the steam dryer and the condition caused by the hot steam dryer height, for example, a building, good use. Overall, a smaller horizontal base area for the construction of a tobacco processing plant according to the invention is thereby achieved quasi. For this purpose, the tobacco processing plant is grouped around the steam dryer. At the same time, the tobacco processing plant according to the invention has the advantage that few or no highly conveying conveyor belts are used for the tobacco or the tobacco intermediates in the plant itself.

In addition, the cost and complexity of conveyor belt systems are avoided by the direct and hochförderorganfreie coupling of different levels arranged tobacco processing equipment.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the tobacco processing plant, it is proposed that the tobacco processing devices, in particular in the preparation process before the superheated steam dryer, are assigned to the superheated steam dryer in several stages.

In particular, it is advantageous if the introduction of tobacco into the superheated steam dryer and / or the discharge of tobacco from the superheated steam dryer take place essentially horizontally and / or without high-throughput conveyors.

In a preferred embodiment of the system, it is provided that an eddy-current sifter and / or a cooling device are provided in the treatment process after the discharge of the tobacco from the hot-steam dryer.

In a preferred embodiment of the tobacco treatment plant At least one tobacco cutter and a tobacco intermediate storage are provided before the entry of the tobacco in the steam dryer, which are arranged differently in height and coupled hochförderorganfrei with each other. In the context of the invention, the tobacco cutter and the tobacco intermediate storage represent process units or tobacco processing devices in the treatment process.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Tabakaufbereitungsanlage;

Fig. 2, Fig. 3

jeweils eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung der Tabakaufbereitungsanlage und

Fig. 4

eine Draufsicht auf die Tabakaufbereitungsanlage.

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

Fig. 1

a side view of a tobacco processing plant according to the invention;

Fig. 2, Fig. 3

in each case a schematic perspective view of the tobacco processing plant and

Fig. 4

a plan view of the tobacco processing plant.

In the following figures, the same or similar elements or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, so that apart from a renewed representation respectively.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show various schematic views of a tobacco processing plant 10 according to the invention, which has a vertically arranged superheated steam dryer 20.

About a conveyor belt 11, a tobacco cutter 12 is fed on the input side with leaf tobacco or tobacco, which cuts the leaf tobacco to Schnitttabak. At the end of the tobacco cutter 12, a chute 13 is arranged, which directs the cut tobacco down on a conveyor belt 14. The tobacco cut by the tobacco cutter 12 is transferred to the chute 13 immediately after the cutting process, i. without the involvement or interposition of transport elements and thus hochförderorganfrei, so that the cut tobacco is removed after cutting from the process level of the tobacco cutter 12 down to a transport plane. For this purpose, the tobacco cutter 12 is arranged above the conveyor belt 14, wherein the angle of inclination of the chute or the falling angle of the cut tobacco is between 45 ° and 90 °, in particular between 60 ° and 90 °. The drop height of the cut tobacco product from the tobacco cutter 12 to the conveyor belt 14 is typically about 1 m to 5 m, in particular 2 m to 3.5 m. The conveyor belt 14 further conveys the cut tobacco subsequently to a tobacco buffer 15.

In order to discharge a faulty stream of tobacco during start-up or when terminating the cutting process of the further processing, the conveyor belt 14 is reversed in its conveying direction, so that the unwanted tobacco stream is conveyed in a laterally arranged on the conveyor belt 14 collecting container 16.

The tobacco processing plant 10 has two juxtaposed tobacco cutters 12, wherein only one tobacco cutter 12 is in production and the second tobacco cutter is in the waiting position or in stand-by position.

From the tobacco cache 15 tobacco is removed and fed to a belt scale 18, so that a mass flow-dependent promotion of the tobacco is achieved in the further processing process. From the belt scale 18, the tobacco passes via a vibrating conveyor trough 19 into the entry 17 of a steam dryer 20.

A steam dryer of Hauni Maschinenbau AG is known as "HDT Heißdampfrockner" so that apart from a detailed description of the steam dryer 20 and reference is made to this dryer for more details. In addition, from document DE-A-100 46 123 a device for treating tobacco is known, which is expressly incorporated in the disclosure of the present patent application.

After the treatment of the tobacco in the hot steam dryer 20 is carried out at the lower end of the hot steam dryer 20 via a discharge 21, the discharge of the treated expanded tobacco. Via a vibrating conveyor trough 22, the expanded tobacco is conveyed to two conveyor belts 23, 24, wherein the vibrating conveyor trough 22 has a shaft 25, so that the tobacco passes from the vibrating conveyor trough 22 onto the conveyor belt 24.

The conveyor belts 23, 24 convey the expanded tobacco to a respective Wirbelstromsichter 26, 27. For example, under the name "VAS" Wirbelstromsichter and coolers for cut tobacco from Hauni Maschinenbau AG known. For further details, reference is expressly made to these devices.

In the tobacco processing plant 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the transport elements 11, 13, 14,19, 22, 23, 24 are arranged horizontally or with a slight inclination, so that the subsidized Tobacco in the conveying direction is not promoted upwards. These are thus transport organs without high promotion of the cargo.

In addition, it can be seen from FIG. 4 that the tobacco processing devices 11 to 19 arranged vertically one above the other require a small base area, so that the entire tobacco processing system 10 is made compact.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Tobacco treatment plant

11

conveyor belt

12

tobacco Schneider

13

chute

14

conveyor belt

15

Tobacco cache

16

Clippings

17

entry

18

belt scale

19

Vibrating conveyor

20

Superheated steam dryer

21

discharge

22

Vibrating conveyor

23

conveyor belt

24

conveyor belt

25

shaft

26

Eddy current separator

27

Eddy current separator

Claims (5)

Tobacco processing plant (10) with a plurality of tobacco processing devices (11 to 15, 18, 19) for tobacco and tobacco processing intermediates and a hot steam dryer (20) for tobacco, characterized in that at least two tobacco processing devices (11 to 15, 18, 19) provided one after the other in the treatment process are provided are arranged mutually different in the vertical height and coupled hochförderorganfrei with each other, wherein the Tabakaufbereitungseinrichtungen (11 to 15, 18, 19) are arranged in the preparation process in front of the Heißdampftrockner (20). Tobacco processing plant (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the tobacco processing devices (11 to 15, 18, 19), in particular in the preparation process in front of the hot steam dryer (20), in several floors of the superheated steam dryer (20) are assigned. Tobacco processing plant (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the entry of tobacco into the hot steam dryer (20) and / or the discharge of tobacco from the steam dryer takes place substantially horizontally and / or hochförderorganfrei. Tobacco processing plant (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the treatment process after the discharge of the tobacco from the hot steam dryer (20) a Wirbelstromsichter (26, 27) and / or a cooling device are provided. Tobacco processing plant (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that prior to the entry of the tobacco in the hot steam dryer (20) at least one tobacco cutter (12) and a tobacco cache (15) are provided, the height of which is different are arranged and coupled to each other without high-feeder organ.

Images