EP1913822B1 - Stagger roller - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has fixed circular rollers (12a, 12b) for moving stick-shaped articles (4) e.g. cigratte, to a transferring area towards its longitudinal axis. The circular rollers come in direct contact with the articles in the transferring area, where the rollers have cylindrical peripheral surfaces (12c, 12d). The rollers are coaxially connected with other rollers (12g, 12h) in a torque-proof manner, where the latter rollers are driven by a circular conveyor (2).

Description

The invention relates to a device for moving located in recordings of a rotating conveyor rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, in particular of cigarettes and / or filters, with at least one stationary displacement element to move the articles at least in a shift range in the direction of their longitudinal axes.

Such devices and methods are known in the art. For example, show the DE 3336689 A1 the applicant and also the EP 1 033 083 B1 the Applicant such devices and methods in which is pressed by means of fixedly arranged rotating rollers in a displacement range from the outside against a synchronously with a conveyor drum for the articles rotating Andrückring to push together tobacco rod double filter tobacco rod groups. This pushing together is referred to in the art as tumbling, as it is done with the help of also referred to as swash plates, rotating with the drum Andrückringe that perform a tumbling motion during its orbit.

In order to collapse tobacco rod double filter tobacco rod groups, as part of cigarette production, first the double filters are placed between previously spread tobacco rods. In order to achieve a secure insertion, the tobacco sticks are spread with respect to the length of the double filter with a certain excess. Without the above-mentioned pushing together of the groups, a gap would thus remain between the filter and the tobacco rod, which should be avoided. This is done by the aforementioned tumbling, in which the swash plates press against the fire end of the tobacco rod and move it in the direction of the double filter, so that the aforementioned gap is closed.

To center the filter plug prior to insertion into the spread tobacco sticks, it is for example from the DE-OS 1532270 It is also known to center the filter plugs on the circumferential surface of the conveying surface beforehand with the help of centering levers rotating with the conveyor drum for the filter plugs.

The so centered double filter can, for example, with the help of one of the CH 489217 known Filterkopfverdichtungsvorrichtung also be compressed at their heads. In this known device, the filter heads are pressed together with the help of running with the double filters pressure platelets in the head area. The platelets are then swung out of the two gaps between double filters and tobacco sticks and the group is then pushed together by means of stationary guides.

Devices of the type mentioned are, for example, from the EP-A-0 862 866 , of the GB-A-2 034 577 , of the GB-A-2 146 855 or the US-A-3,257,883 known.

Object of the present invention is to improve devices and methods of the type mentioned.

This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1.

The advantages of a device according to claim 1 are, in particular, that the swash plates necessary in the prior art can be completely omitted. By the inventive direct contact between the sliding element which is preferably designed as a peripheral roller and the articles to be displaced, at least in the displacement region of the device, makes the known swash plate superfluous. This not only offers the advantage of cost reduction by avoiding the Taumelringkonstruktion, but also the advantage that the tumbling drum itself and adjacent drums can be expanded undisturbed because the larger in its outer diameter compared to the diameter of the wobble drum sized wobble rings in such an expansion no longer considered Need to become.

Particularly advantageous is the possibility created by the invention of omitting the wobble rings also because the wobble rings had a limited view in a calibration of the transfer point from drum to drum result. For these important for a precise transfer of articles from or on the wobble drum calibration, it was therefore necessary in the prior art, dismantle the swash plate before calibrating and then attach again. These works are now no longer necessary thanks to the invention.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the displacement area also called tumbling path for pushing the articles together is substantially shorter than in the prior art. This facilitates a functional distribution on the wobble drum, since the previous long wobble path could not be used for other functions of the drum. Thanks to the invention short wobble path now several functions or tumbling on a drum are possible.

In the invention, serving as a displacement element, preferably stationary, rotating roller with its preferably cylindrical peripheral surface comes at least in the displacement area in direct contact with the articles. The invention in this context includes the recognition that due to the slight curvature of the surface of the cylindrical roller pressing the fire end in the direction of the double filters a reduction of the head or end failure of the cigarette can be achieved.

The designed as a roller displacement element is preferably driven. The roller may, for example, be non-rotatably and coaxially connected to a second roller serving as a drive roller, the second roller preferably being driven by the conveyor. If the conveyor is designed, for example, as a rotating conveyor drum, the second roller can preferably run off with its circumferential surface on the end face of the drum. In this way, in a very compact design, a drive for serving as a sliding element roller and thus a running along the peripheral surface of the stationary roller with the items to be moved on the conveyor reach.

Preferably, the second driving roller is pressed with a preferably a compression spring having pressure element against the end face of the drum to achieve a defined contact pressure to prevent slip between the drum and drive roller. The contact pressure of the pressure element is advantageously adjustable so that a sufficient contact pressure to prevent slippage is ensured, wherein the contact pressure is simultaneously selected as low as possible in order to design the device as low as possible.

In order to provide a simple support of the second roller, it can for example be attached to a holding arm, which in turn is fastened to the machine frame of the device or a cigarette manufacturing machine.

The end face of the drum may be formed, at least at a point of contact with the second roller, by a co-rotating ring mounted on the drum. In an alternative embodiment, the end face of the drum may have a recess at least in the region of the displacement element. Both measures can create the conditions for a Ratio of a driving diameter of the second roller to an aligning diameter of the serving as a sliding element role can be selected less than 1. It is preferred if the aforementioned ratio is such that the peripheral speed of serving as a sliding element role, at least in the displacement range equal to the web speed of the central axis of the article on the conveyor.

This synchronous operation can be achieved according to the above embodiment either by patch on the end face of the drum rings in the region of the second roller, so that the width of the drum in the region of the second roller is greater than in the serving as a sliding element role; or it can be achieved in that the drum has a recess in the region of the roller serving as a displacement element, so that the width of the drum outside this range and thus also the width in the region of the second driving roller is greater than in the region of the displacement element.

Preferably, the ratio of directing diameter to driving diameter is equal to the ratio of a distance of the center axis of the articles from the axis of rotation of the drum to a distance of a center contact point of the peripheral surface of the second roller from the axis of rotation of the drum. By this measure, an exact synchronous running of the peripheral surface of serving as a sliding element roller with the path speed of the article to be displaced from this peripheral surface can be achieved.

To increase the durability of the device at least one of the two rollers is at least partially made of hardened steel.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the displacement element is driven by means of a, preferably clock-controlled, motor. This variant of the invention offers the advantage that in cases where, for structural reasons, the provision of the second roller is not indicated is, can be dispensed with the second role, in which the preferred serving as a sliding element first roller is driven directly by a corresponding clock-controlled motor.

The advantages of the device according to claim 16, are in particular that due to the possibility to switch off the negative pressure or by reducing the negative pressure by a vent or an overpressure in the area of the receptacles for the article, the Relbkraft the tobacco sticks in the receptacles, for example in the wells a drum, is greatly reduced. This in turn has the consequence that the required sliding force to be applied by the displacement elements to the corresponding tobacco rod is also greatly reduced. In this context, the invention includes, in particular, the recognition that a reduction of the compression of the tobacco rod during pushing together with the double filters is achieved by switching off the negative pressure or venting the receptacles, which point is preferably designed only selectively in the region of the tobacco sticks. Furthermore, the end of the fire is easily solidified, thus greatly reducing tobacco loss in the further process of cigarette production.

In combination with the device according to claim 1 and possibly one of the other embodiments described above, so the advantage of a reduction of the head failure set both by the slight curvature of the displacement element and by the reduced pushing force.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims.

Fig. 1

eine erste Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrich- tung zum Verschieben von in Aufnahmen eines umlaufenden Förderers befindlichen stabförmigen Artikeln der tabakverarbeitenden Industrie;

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht der Vorrichtung der Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine Variante der Ausführungsform der Figuren 1 und 2;

Fig. 4

eine schematische Darstellung der Arbeitsweise der Ausführungsformen der Figuren 1 bis 3;

Fig. 5

eine schematische Darstellung einer ersten perspektivischen Ansicht einer zweiten Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Fig. 6

eine andere perspektivische Ansicht der zweiten Ausführungsformen der Figur 5; und

Fig. 7

eine andere perspektivische Ansicht eines Teils der zweiten Ausführungsform der Figur 5.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows:

Fig. 1

A first embodiment of a device according to the invention for moving in recordings of a circulating Conveyor rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry;

Fig. 2

a side view of the device of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a variant of the embodiment of the FIGS. 1 and 2 ;

Fig. 4

a schematic representation of the operation of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 ;

Fig. 5

a schematic representation of a first perspective view of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 6

another perspective view of the second embodiments of FIG. 5 ; and

Fig. 7

another perspective view of a part of the second embodiment of FIG. 5 ,

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment 1 of a device for moving in not shown receptacles of a formed as a drum 2 revolving conveyor rod-shaped articles 4 of the tobacco processing industry. At the in Fig. 1 illustrated articles 4 are groups of tobacco rod 4a shown on the left, a centrally arranged double filter 4b and a second tobacco rod 4c shown on the right. The illustration shows the group of tobacco rod 4a, double filter 4b and tobacco rod 4c in the collapsed state. The distance between the group 4 and a peripheral surface 6 of the drum 2 is greatly oversubscribed for reasons of clarity of drawing.

The drum 2 rotates according to arrow 8 about a rotation axis 10. In direct contact with the tobacco rods 4a and 4c are serving as fixed displacement elements rotating rollers 12a and 12b. The rollers 12a and 12b, with their peripheral surfaces 12c and 12d, are in direct contact with the fire ends 4aa and 4cc of the tobacco rods 4a and 4c, respectively. The peripheral surfaces 12c and 12d are planar and cylindrical. The rollers 12a and 12b are over Shafts 12e and 12f rotatably connected to second rollers 12g and 12h connected. The second rollers 12g and 12h are pressed via not shown, serving as pressure elements compression springs with a predetermined contact pressure on arranged on the end faces 2a and 2b of the drum 2 rings 14a and 14b. Surfaces 14c and 14d of the rings 14a and 14b thus partially form the end face of the drum 2, in particular the end faces of the drum 2 in the region of the second rollers 12g and 12h. Due to the rings 14a and 14b, the drum has a greater width in this area than in the remaining areas 2a and 2b.

At the same time, the rollers 12g and 12h are held in a stationary position by holding arms (not shown), the holding arms being fixed to a frame, also not shown, of the device.

The ratio of a driving diameter c of the rollers 12h and 12g to an aligning diameter d of the rollers 12b 12a is less than 1 and chosen so that the peripheral speed of the roller 12d or 12a is equal to the web speed of the article 4 on the drum 2 , For this purpose, the ratio of the aligning diameter d to the driving diameter c is equal to a ratio of a distance a from the center axis 16 of the articles 4 from the rotation axis 10 of the drum 2 to a distance b of a middle contact point 18 of the peripheral surfaces 20a and 20b of the second one Roller 12h or 12g to the axis of rotation 10 of the drum second

The rollers 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d are made of hardened steel.

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of the Fig. 1 in a side view. Like parts are designated by like reference numerals.

Fig. 3 shows a variant of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 , Again, like parts are designated by like reference numerals. Unlike in the FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrated embodiment is missing in this embodiment, the patch on the end faces 2a and 2b of the drum 2 ring 14b and 14a, respectively. Nevertheless, in order to be able to leave the diameters c and d unchanged, the drum 2 has recesses 22 in the end faces 2b and 2a, respectively.

As with the FIGS. 1 and 2 Embodiments shown are also in the in Fig. 3 illustrated embodiment, that the distance of the peripheral surface 12d or 12c of the roller 12b and 12a of the end face 12b is selected such that in the Figures 1 - 3 shown collapsed state of the group 4a, 4b and 4c, this distance is not 0. In this way it is ensured that a contact between peripheral surface 12d or 12c and end face 2b or 2a does not prevent a complete pushing together of the group 4a, 4b, 4c.

The Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of the operation of the embodiments of the Figures 1 - 3 , According to arrow 24, the articles 4 move on the peripheral surface of the drum 2, not shown, towards a displacement region 26 of the device 1. In this displacement region they become at the head ends 4aa and 4cc, respectively, of the peripheral surfaces 12c and 12d of the rollers serving as displacement elements 12a and 12b detected. These push the groups into the Fig. 4 below state along its longitudinal axes by direct contact with the fire ends 4aa and 4cc together.

The FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a first perspective view of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention. Parts that are identical to parts of the FIGS. 1 to 4 shown in the first embodiment of the invention or corresponding to such parts in their function are in this and in the FIGS. 6 and 7 denoted by the same reference numerals. Unlike the first, in the FIGS. 1 to 4 embodiment shown are in the second, in the FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrated embodiment serving as fixed displacement elements rotating rollers 12a and 12b directly via a respective clock-controlled motor 30a and 30b driven. The in the first embodiment of the FIGS. 1 to 4 necessary second rollers 12g and 12h are therefore not necessary in this second embodiment. The function of the first rollers 12a and 12b is compared to the first embodiment of the FIGS. 1 to 4 unchanged and therefore corresponds to the in terms of FIG. 4 described functions.

According to the FIGS. 5 to 7 For example, the motors 30a and 30b are housed in housings 32a and 32b which are screwed onto a holding plate 34a and 34b, respectively. The holding plates 34a and 34b are, as particularly clear in the partial view of FIG. 7 can be seen connected to the width of the drum 2 on its circumference superior support structure 36. This holding structure is in turn connected via holding elements 38 with a machine housing, not shown, of a corresponding machine of the tobacco-processing industry.

Claims (17)

1. Device for displacing rod-shaped articles (4) in the tobacco processing industry disposed in holders of a circulating conveyor (2), in particular cigarettes and/or filters (4b),
   with at least one stationary displacing element (12a, 12b) in order to push the articles (4) together in the direction of their longitudinal axes (16) at least in a displacement area (26), and the displacing element (12a, 12b) comes into direct contact with the articles (4) at least in the displacement area (26),
   characterised in that
   the displacing element (12a, 12b) is provided in the form of a rotating roller and the rotating roller (12a, 12b) comes into contact with one end (4aa, 4cc) of the articles (4) by means of its circumferential surface (12c, 12d).
2. Device as claimed in claim 1,
   in which the roller (12a, 12b) has a cylindrical circumferential surface (12c, 12d).
3. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
   in which the displacing element (12a, 12d) is driven.
4. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
   in which the roller (12a, 12b) is coaxially connected to a second roller (12g, 12h) driven by the conveyor (2) so as to rotate in unison with it.
5. Device as claimed in claim 4,
   in which the conveyor (2) is provided in the form of a rotating drum, on the co-operating side face (2a, 2b) of which the second roller (12g, 12h) rolls, preferably by means of its circumferential surface (22a, 22b).
6. Device as claimed in one of claims 4 or 5,
   in which the second roller (12g, 12h) is pressed against the drum (2) by means of a pressing element, preferably incorporating a compression spring.
7. Device as claimed in claim 6,
   in which a contact pressure of the pressing element can be adjusted.
8. Device as claimed in one of claims 4 to 7,
   in which a retaining arm for the second roller (12g, 12h) is affixed to a machine frame of the device (1).
9. Device as claimed in one of claims 4 to 8,
   in which the side face (2a, 2b) of the drum (2) is formed by a ring (14a, 14b) affixed to the drum (2) and rotating with the drum, at least along a contact path (18) with the second roller (12g, 12h).
10. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
    in which the conveyor (2) is provided in the form of a rotating drum, the side face (2a, 2b) of which has a recess (22) at least in the region of the displacing element (12a, 12b).
11. Device as claimed in one of claims 4 to 10,
    in which a ratio of a driving diameter (c) of the second roller (12g, 12h) to an aligning diameter (d) of the roller (12a, 12b) is less than 1 and is preferably such that the circumferential speed of the roller (12a, 12b) is the same as the orbital velocity of the articles (4) on the conveyor (2).
12. Device as claimed in claim 11,
    in which the ratio of aligning diameter (d) to driving diameter (c) is equal to the ratio of a distance (a) of the mid-axis (16) of the articles (4) from the axis of rotation (10) of the drum (2) to a distance (b) of a middle contact point (18) of the circumferential surface (20a, 20b) of the second roller (12g, 12h) from the axis of rotation (10) of the drum (2).
13. Device as claimed in one of claims 4 to 12,
    in which the circumferential surface (20a, 20b) of the second roller (12g, 12h) is of a convex design.
14. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
    in which the displacing element (12a, 12b) is driven with the aid of a preferably time-controlled motor.
15. Device as claimed in one of claims 4 to 14,
    in which at least one of the rollers (12a, 12b, 12g, 12h) is at least partially made from hardened steel.
16. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims,
    in which a negative pressure can be generated in the holders for the rod-shaped articles (4) for the tobacco processing industry,
    characterised in that the negative pressure can be reduced at least when the articles (4) are being displaced.
17. Device as claimed in claim 16,
    in which the negative pressure can be reduced by venting or by over-pressure at least whilst the articles (4) are being displaced.

Images