EP2026669B1 - Method of operating a rod-making machine and rod-making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a rod-making machine in the tobacco-processing industry. The invention also relates to a rod-making machine in the tobacco-processing industry. The method according to the invention is distinguished in that, in order to start up the rod-making machine, rod material (107, 117) is scattered onto a suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) and it is ascertained as to whether the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is occupied by a predeterminable quantity of rod material (107, 117), wherein, in the case where the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is occupied by the predeterminable quantity of rod material (107, 117), an additive (101) is fed to the rod material (107, 117) in the region of the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) and, in the case where the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is not occupied by a predeterminable quantity of rod material (107, 117), the feed of additive does not take place. The rod-making machine according to the invention comprises a first sensor (118, 118') which detects whether or not a suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is occupied by rod material (107, 117).

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a stranding machine and a stranding machine of the tobacco-processing industry.

From the WO 2005/096851 A1 *** "" A method and apparatus for making a smokable article wherein tobacco is peeled open and an extrudate is formed wherein the extrudate is applied to the quenched tobacco.

From the DE 33 11 886 C2 For example, there is known a process for producing a cigarette in which an admixture of expanded tobacco pulp is applied to a tobacco layer. In addition, it is disclosed that the expandable tobacco pulp may also be provided with a flavorant, for example menthol.

From the EP 0 405 929 A2 is intended to use a liquid strand Add additives to cigarette rods, wherein a nozzle is arranged in the region of a Aufschauerbereichs of tobacco, which serves to introduce the fluid into the tobacco.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rod making machine of the tobacco processing industry and a method for operating a rod maker of the tobacco processing industry, by means of which even when adding an additive, a uniform and homogeneous fiber strand, for example, from tobacco fibers or filter material fibers, can be produced. It should also be possible to achieve long service life of the stranding machine.

This object is achieved by a method for operating an extrusion machine of the tobacco-processing industry, wherein, in particular for starting the stranding machine, strand material is aufauert on a suction conveyor and is detected, whether the Saugstrangförderer is covered with a predetermined amount of strand material, in which case, that the Saugstrangförderer is covered with the predetermined amount of strand material, an additive is supplied to the strand material in the region of the Saugstrangförderers and in the case in which the Saugstrangförderer is not covered with the predetermined amount of strand material, no supply of an additive takes place. As a result, a very uniform strand can be produced and at the same time take off or put into operation and shutdown or put out of operation of the strand machine ensure that components of the strand machine, such as the Saugstrangförderer and for example, a Saugstrangförderer arranged suction belt, not with the additive be contaminated, so that significantly increase the service life of the stranding machine.

The additive preferably comprises or is a fluid or an extrudate. The additive may, for example, be a pasty mass which is squeezed out or injected under pressure from an additive supply device, for example a nozzle. The additive may in this case be finely atomized, but may also be present as a continuous strip or in the form of strip pieces or smaller chunks or particles or splashes. In particular, in the context of this invention, in the event that no supply of additive takes place, in particular no additive is dispensed onto the strand material or parts of the stranding machine. It is also possible, when starting the stranding machine, which is to be understood in particular in the context of the invention, a commissioning of the stranding machine, only then provide the supply of additive when strand material is arranged on the Saugstrangförderer.

In particular, if the operation or shutdown of the stranding machine is interrupted, the supply of additive is interrupted or the additive is released into a collecting container or no additional additive is made available.

Preferably, the additive is supplied to the strand material only shortly before the connection until at the latest to the connection of a gluing of a strip of material enveloping the strand material.

Preferably, the additive is supplied to the strand material at the latest at a time in which the strand material is detected in a strand guiding device.

Preferably, the additive is at a time between the connection of a gluing of a surrounding the strand material Material strip and activating a Strandabschlägers fed to the strand material. The Strandabschläger is usually used when the strand produced has the desired properties and should be transferred for further processing in the processing process.

In the case of the production of a strand material strip free of strand material, the additive is preferably fed to the strand material at the latest when a strand stripper is activated.

If in the conveying direction of the strand material upstream of the feed of the additive is detected to the strand material, if the suction belt conveyor is covered with strand material, it is very well prevented that the Saugstrangförderer comprising, for example, a suction belt is not contaminated, since no or substantially no additive to the Saugstrangförderer can get. The detection upstream of the supply of the additive to the strand material is particularly well-suited to determine quickly enough whether strand material is placed on the suction belt conveyor.

Preferably, the predeterminable amount of strand material can be designed so that in the presence of strand material on the Saugstrangförderer the additive is added and in the case in which no strand material is arranged on the Saugstrangförderer, also no supply of additive takes place. The predeterminable amount can also be a layer of strand material which is substantially opaque, ie in which the suction strand conveyor is substantially completely covered with the material.

Preferably, in the region of the additive feed to the strand material, in particular immediately downstream of a Zusatzstoffzuführvorrichtung, checks whether there is a stop-causing irregularity in the strand material disposed on the suction belt conveyor, in the presence of such an irregularity, the additive supply is interrupted or additive is discharged into a collecting container. Such an irregularity is also referred to as choke. These are clumps or accumulations of the strand material, which can lead to stoppers.

In a strand machine stop, when an extruder stop signal is used to stop the additive feed or dump additive into a catch tray, strand machine stop prevents parts of the skein machine from becoming contaminated.

Instead of detecting a sufficient amount of strand material or a predeterminable amount of strand material, it is also possible when starting the stranding machine to wait for a predeterminable time, to which the additive is then fed to the strand material.

Preferably, the strand material comprises isolated fibers of tobacco or filter material.

The object is further achieved by a rod maker of the tobacco processing industry with a first sensor which detects the occupancy of a Saugstrangförderers with strand material, wherein a device for supplying additive (Zusatzstoffzuführvorrichtung) is provided to the arranged on the Saugstrangförderer strand material. The stranding machine according to the invention makes it possible to add an additive to the strand material at the right time. The additive feed device is preferably located downstream of the first sensor in order to more accurately determine the moment or moment of supplying additive to the strand material.

If a second sensor is provided to detect irregularities in the strand material applied to the suction belt conveyor, which may result in a stoppage of the strand machine, the supply of additive may be terminated in a timely manner to reduce the amount of strand material which is no longer utilizable.

Preferably, a control device is provided which is connected to the first sensor and / or the second sensor and controls the additive supply device. Preferably, the strand material comprises fibers of tobacco and / or filter material.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht auf einen Teil einer erfindungsgemäßen Strangmaschine,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung aus Fig. 1 in einer um 90° verkippten Position,

Fig. 3

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung aus Fig. 1 in einer um 90° verkippten Draufsicht, und

Fig. 4

eine schematische dreidimensionale Darstellung einer Strangmaschine.

The invention will be described below without limiting the general inventive idea by means of embodiments with reference to the drawings, reference being expressly made to the drawings with respect to all in the text unspecified details of the invention. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic side view of a part of a strand machine according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a schematic sectional view of the device according to the invention Fig. 1 in a tilted position of 90 °,

Fig. 3

a schematic sectional view of the device according to the invention Fig. 1 in a tilted by 90 ° top view, and

Fig. 4

a schematic three-dimensional view of a stranding machine.

In the following figures, identical or similar elements or corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals, so that a corresponding renewed idea is dispensed with.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a portion of a strand machine according to the invention of the tobacco processing industry, wherein by a suction channel 113, the in Fig. 2 is shown, only one side wall or channel wall 103 is shown. An additive supply device, namely in this case a nozzle device 102 with a nozzle body 115, which has a nozzle opening 110 from which a fluid 101 flows, is provided on the channel wall 103. The fluid 101 may be a binder, flavor, or other agent, for example, supplied to tobacco or filter material. It may also be an extrudate, which is pressed out of the nozzle opening 110 as a paste-like mass and optionally atomized.

A fibrous material such as tobacco or filter fibers is sucked by suction air through a suction chute 113 to a suction belt 106. The suction belt 106 moves in the Fig. 1 from right to left in the suction belt conveying direction 109. This forms a fiber fabric consisting of quenched fibers 107 on the surface of the skimmer 116. The fibers 117 may also be admixed with granules or powder.

Since in this embodiment the nozzle device 102 projects into the suction channel 113, the transport air stream 108 is in sections curved in the suction channel 113. The fibers 117 are also indicated schematically. In Fig. 2 is the embodiment of Fig. 1 shown in a rotated by 90 ° schematic sectional view. In the Fig. 2 In addition, the second channel wall 105 is additionally shown, which has a recess 104 with respect to the nozzle device 102. The recess 104 serves to provide no narrowing of the suction channel 113 in the region of the nozzle device 102. The recess is in the conveying direction of the fibers 117, first widening the cross section of the channel 113 and then designed to taper back to the suction belt 106 back. This results in a convex bulge in the channel wall 105th

Fig. 3 shows the embodiment Fig. 1 in a schematic plan view in a sectional view tilted 90 ° down. The transitions of the bulge may be contrary to the illustration Fig. 1 be formed without edges.

In order to introduce a fluid 101 into, for example, a tobacco rod, a nozzle or nozzle device 102 is incorporated in the one channel cheek or channel wall 103 and a pocket or recess 104 in the opposite channel cheek or channel wall 105. The device is to be designed such that the already thawed tobacco 107 on the suction belt 106 and the further shudder is not or substantially not influenced.

In this case, the nozzle device 102 is preferably mounted or arranged on the channel wall 103, which is flowed through by the tobacco stream or material flow, respectively. In suction wells or when using suction channels 113 in combination with fluid bed conveyors, which are not shown, this is done in particular by centrifugal forces, through which the material flow more or less clinging to one side.

The nozzle device 102 can be used as a partially flowed volume body, such as in the examples of Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 be formed or as a capillary or as a combination of a partially flowed or full flowed volume body with a capillary, which is not shown. Through the capillary tube, a better backflow of an introduced fluid is made possible.

The nozzle devices used are preferably extrusion die devices.

As in Fig. 1 is further shown schematically, the Aufauerte and provided with additive strand material 107 is fed in the direction of arrow 109 a formatting device 126, after the nonwoven fabric 107 was trimmed as usual. For this purpose, the nonwoven fabric is placed on a wrapping strip 121, for example made of paper, which runs on a format strip 127 in the format device 126. In the format device 126, the strand material is wrapped with the wrapping strip 121, the wrapping strip 121 is completely wrapped around the strand material and glued, optionally cured and, if the strand is proper, cut to length by the strand stripper 122, so that in the moment of knocking upstream of the stripper provided strand of further processing can be supplied.

In Fig. 2 a first sensor 118 is shown, which detects whether a sufficient amount of strand material 107 is aufauert on the suction belt 106. The sensor 118 may, as shown in FIG Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 is shown to be integrated into the channel wall 105. A corresponding sensor 118 'can also be provided, which also detects whether a sufficient amount of strand material has been thrown on the suction belt 106. However, the first sensor 118 'is in the nozzle body 115 of the nozzle device 102 integrated. The first sensor 118 'is located upstream of the nozzle opening 110. There are also provided sensors 119 and 119 'which are intended to detect irregularities in the strand material which may lead to a stop of the strand machine, for example due to congestion of the strand material during insertion into the formatting device. It may be sufficient to provide only a first sensor 118, 118 'and a second sensor 119, 119'.

The signals from the sensors 118, 118 ', 119, 119' are fed to a control device 120, which controls the nozzle device 102. This is indicated by dashed lines. The control device 120 also controls the operation of a collecting container 123 or a suction device, which ensures that negative pressure in the collecting container 123, a suction tube 125 and the suction bore 124 prevails, which ensures in the region of the nozzle opening 110 that the fluid 101 through the suction hole 124, the suction tube 125 passes into the collecting container 123.

The invention is particularly suitable for preventing or largely avoiding that strand material provided with an additive, for example a tobacco rod, gets into the weft, for example a shredder. For this purpose, the startup times and stop times are to be adjusted to the connection and disconnection of the additive feed. The connection is preferably made when the strand is detected on a prism rail following the Strandabschläger 122, behind a measuring head, which measures the properties of the tobacco rod.

In order to avoid contamination of the suction belt 106, no additive may reach the unoccupied suction belt 106 at the start or at the stop. For this purpose, the Saugbandbelegung over a suitable sensor 118, 118 'interrogated. A sensor 119, 119 'directly behind the nozzle 102 or 110 should detect so-called chokes and terminate the additive addition immediately upon detection of such chokes.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic three-dimensional representation of a stranding machine, which is in particular a tobacco rod machine, by means of which a cigarette rod or tobacco rod is produced.

From a lock 1, a pre-distributor is charged in portions with, for example, tobacco. A removal roller 3 of the pre-distributor 2 fills a storage container 4 with tobacco, from which a steep conveyor 5 takes tobacco and feeds a stowage 6 controlled. From the storage shaft 6 takes a pin roller 7 a uniform stream of tobacco, which is knocked out by a rollover roller 8 of the pins of the pin roller 7 and thrown on a circulating at a constant speed spreading cloth 9.

A tobacco fleece formed on the spreading cloth 9 is thrown into a sighting device 11, which consists essentially of an air curtain, the larger or heavier tobacco particles happen, while all other tobacco particles from the air in a funnel formed by a pin roller 12 and a wall 13 14th be steered.

From the pin roller 12, the tobacco is thrown into a tobacco channel 16 against a strand conveyor 17 or suction belt conveyor 17, on which the tobacco is held by means sucked in a vacuum chamber air and a tobacco rod is aufauert. A leveler 19 or trimmer 19 removes excess tobacco from the tobacco rod, which is then placed on a run in synchronized cigarette paper strip 21. The cigarette paper strip 21 is withdrawn from a reel 22, passed through a printing unit 23 and placed on a driven format tape 24.

The format strip 24 transports the tobacco rod and the cigarette paper strip 21 through a format 26 by folding the cigarette paper strip 21 around the tobacco rod, so that an edge is still projecting, which is glued in a known manner by a Glimapparat, not shown. Then the bond is closed and dried by a Tandemnahtplätte 27.

A thus formed cigarette rod 28 passes through a strand density meter 29, which is preceded by a strand guiding device or in which a strand guiding device is integrated. The strand density meter 29 controls the equalizer 19 or trimmer 19. The cigarette rod 29 is cut by a knife apparatus into double-length cigarettes 32. The double-length cigarettes 32 are transferred from a transfer device 34, which has controlled arms 33, to a transfer drum 36 of a filter attachment machine 37, onto the cutting drum 38 of which they are divided into single cigarettes with a circular blade.

Conveyor belts 39, 41 promote excess tobacco in a arranged under the reservoir 4 container 42, from which the recycled tobacco is removed from the vertical conveyor 5 again.

Usually, resulting fiber material is returned during the startup and shutdown of a stranding machine to the fiber material to be processed. By the invention it is avoided that provided with additive fiber material is recycled, which is a important criterion for a consistent fiber strand quality.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

lock

2

preliminary distributor

3

out roller

4

reservoir

5

vertical conveyor

6

accumulating shaft

7

pin roll

8th

picker roller

9

stray cloth

11

OverviewAmenitiesPicture

12

pin roll

13

wall

14

funnel

16

tobacco channel

17

suction rod

18

Vacuum chamber

19

trimmer

21

Cigarette paper strip

22

reel

23

printing unit

24

format tape

26

format

27

Tandemnahtplätte

28

cigarette rod

29

Strand density meter

31

knife apparatus

32

double-length cigarettes

33

poor

34

Transfer device

36

transfer drum

37

filter attachment

38

cutting drum

39.41

conveyor belt

42

container

101

fluid

102

nozzle device

103

channel wall

104

recess

105

channel wall

106

suction belt

107

quilled fibers

108

Transport airflow

109

Saugbandförderrichtung

110

nozzle opening

113

suction well

115

nozzle body

116

Aufschauerfläche

117

fibers

118, 118 '

sensor

119, 119 '

sensor

120

control device

121

wrapping strip

122

Strangabschläger

123

receptacle

124

Absaugbohrung

125

suction tube

126

format device

127

format tape

Claims (14)

1. Method of operating a rod-making machine of the tobacco-processing industry, in which, in particular for starting up the rod-making machine, rod material (107, 117) is scattered onto a suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106), characterised in that it is detected whether the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is occupied by a predeterminable quantity of rod material (107, 117), it being the case that where the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is occupied by the predeterminable quantity of rod material (107, 117), an additive (101) is fed to the rod material (107, 117) in the region of the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106), and where the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is not occupied by the predeterminable quantity of rod material (107, 117), a feed of the additive does not take place.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the additive (101) is fed to the rod material (107) only shortly before the switching-on until no later than the switching-on of a glue application to a material strip (121) wrapping the rod material (107).
3. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the additive (101) is fed to the rod material (107) no later than at a point in time when the rod material (107) is detected in a rod-guiding device (29).
4. Method according to Claim 3, characterised in that the additive (101) is fed to the rod material (107) at a point in time between the switching-on of a glue application to a material strip (121) wrapping the rod material (107) and the activation of a rod cutter (122).
5. Method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the additive (101) is fed to the rod material (107), in the case of the production of a rod free from a strip of wrapping material, no later than at the moment when a rod cutter (122) is activated.
6. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that it is detected whether the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) is occupied by rod material (107) upstream of the feed of the additive (101) to the rod material (107), in the conveying direction (109) of the rod material (107).
7. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that, in the region of the additive feed to the rod material (107), in particular immediately downstream of an additive-feeding device (102, 110, 115), it is checked whether a stoppage-causing irregularity is present in the rod material (107) arranged on the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106), the additive feed being interrupted or additive (101) being discharged to a collecting container (123) if such an irregularity is present.
8. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised in that, in the event of a stoppage of the rod-making machine, a signal causing the stoppage of the rod-making machine serves to interrupt the additive feed or discharge additive (101) to a collecting container (123).
9. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the rod material (107, 117) comprises separated fibres of tobacco or filter material, and/or in that the additive comprises or is an extrudate.
10. Rod-making machine of the tobacco-processing industry, characterised by a first sensor (118, 118'), which detects the occupation of a suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) by rod material (107, 117), a device (102, 110, 115) for feeding additive (101) (additive-feeding device) to the rod material (107) arranged on the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106) being provided.
11. Rod-making machine according to Claim 10, characterised in that the additive-feeding device (102, 110, 115) is arranged downstream of the first sensor (118, 118').
12. Rod-making machine according to Claim 10 or 11, characterised in that a second sensor (119, 119') is provided, in order to detect irregularities in the rod material (107) deposited on the suction-type rod conveyor (17, 106), which lead to a stoppage of the rod-making machine.
13. Rod-making machine according to one of Claims 10 to 12, characterised in that a control device (120) is provided, which is connected to the first sensor (118, 118') and/or the second sensor (119, 119') and which controls the additive-feeding device (102, 110, 115).
14. Rod-making machine according to one of Claims 10 to 13, characterised in that the rod material (107, 17) comprises fibres of tobacco and/or filter material and/or in that the additive comprises or is an extrudate.

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