EP2241204A1 - Tobacco trimming apparatus and method of controlling a tobacco trimming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (19) has two trimming disks (62a, 62b) for removing excess fibers from a tobacco fiber strand and inserting reinforcements into the fiber strand. A paddling wheel (64) removes the excess fibers from one of the two trimming disks, and individual drives (66a, 66b, 67, 68, 72) are provided for the trimming disks and the paddling wheel, where the number of drives exceeds the number of the trimming disks and the paddling wheel. The trimming disks are arranged at an angle to each other, and a control device (78) stands in effective connection with the individual drives. An independent claim is also included for a method for controlling a trimming device.

Description

The invention relates to a trimming device for trimming a fiber strand of a strand machine of the tobacco processing industry, with a spatial arrangement of at least two, in its outer region at least one pocket having Trimmerscheiben for removing excess fibers from the fiber strand and for introducing sections of reinforcements in the fiber strand, and with at least one paddle wheel for removing excess fibers from at least one of the at least two trimmer discs.

For example, a fiber strand may be a strand of tobacco fibers. A stranding machine of the tobacco-processing industry may, for example, be a double-strand machine for the production of cigarettes or double-filter cigarettes.

The production of cigarettes usually takes place in such a way that their free head end, in the case of filter cigarettes the end of the fire, has a head reinforcement which prevents tobacco from falling out of the head end. This head reinforcement consists of a region of greater tobacco density at the head of the cigarette. To produce the head reinforcement, a continuously conveyed tobacco rod, from which the cigarettes are finally produced, is compacted at regular intervals before a decrease of excess tobacco and before a wrapping with a wrapping material strip, so that the Tobacco rod contains more tobacco in these densified areas than between the densified areas. After wrapping the tobacco rod with the aforementioned Umhüllungsmaterialstreifen successively finally rod-shaped sections of single or multiple use length are separated, which are deflected in a transverse axial conveying direction and further processed into filter cigarettes.

To form the above-mentioned head reinforcements, the tobacco strand, which is normally thickened with the aid of a suction strand conveyor, is trimmed with the aid of a trimming device, also called an equalizer. In this case, the trim device is intended to set the cigarette weight ultimately desired in the finished cigarette by the abovementioned excess decrease of excess tobacco and at the same time make the above-mentioned head reinforcement. For this purpose, the trimming device to the features mentioned above, wherein size and shape of the trimmer discs are dependent on the format of the cigarette ultimately desired. The at least one pocket on the at least two trimmer discs is used - as already indicated above - to reinforce the edge ends or mouthpiece ends of the tobacco sticks, wherein the number of pockets in the arrangement or on the respective trimmer disk depends in particular on the tobacco rod length and on the type of head reinforcement can be chosen. The paddle wheel, for example, arranged below the trimmer discs beats or separates excess fibers from tobacco. In this case, the tobacco thus far separated, for example, via a return conveyor belt and a vibrating chute to the distributor back in a tobacco storage of the strand machine are returned.

The invention further relates to a method for controlling a trimming device for trimming a fiber strand of a strand machine of the tobacco processing industry, in particular for controlling a trimming device of the type mentioned.

A trimming device of the type mentioned is, for example, from the DE 38 37 201 A1 known which of the US 4,883,076 equivalent. In this known device for head reinforcement two arranged in a plane with the tobacco rod clamping disks are used, which serve as Trimmerscheiben for excess removal of the tobacco rod and at their peripheries have pockets in which therefore an excess remains on the tobacco rod, so that later in the Compressing the strand leads to a more dense site.

The above invention can also be used for double-strand machines in which two trimming devices of the type mentioned in the introduction are used in order to be able to trim two fiber strands at the same time. For this purpose, the two trimming devices can be arranged, for example, in quick succession along the respective fiber strands. The use of two trimmers is known, for example, from the publication "30546: Trimming apparatus, research disclosure, September 1989 No. 305, Emsworth Design Inc., 121 West 19 Street, New York, NY 10011, USA".

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

This object is achieved by a trim device according to claim 1 and a method for controlling a trim device according to claim 16.

Embodiments of the present invention, in particular the provision of an excess number of individual drives over the number of trimmer disks and paddle wheels in the arrangement, offer the particular advantage of being able to provide automatic calibration of the trimming device. For in particular by the provision of individual drives for the at least two trimming disks, the at least one paddle wheel and an adjusting device for adjusting the distance of the at least two trimmer disks to each other, it is possible, for example by means of a corresponding electronic control fully automatic such calibration by simply controlling the corresponding Carry out individual drives. Preferably, the calibration or the synchronization of the trimmer discs to each other before calibration or synchronization or alignment of the paddle wheel is made to at least one of the trimmer discs.

In contrast, it has always been necessary in the prior art to perform a calibration or synchronization by mechanically adjusting the rotational speeds of the trimmer discs or the paddle wheel or the position of the trimming discs and the paddle wheel. The in this context very large mechanical and manual effort of the appropriate operating personnel is completely eliminated in the above-outlined embodiments of the invention.

In addition, embodiments of the invention, in particular those outlined above, the further advantage that the removal and installation of such Trimmerscheiben or such paddle when using single drives for all parts of the arrangement extremely fast compared to driven via the central machine drive Trimmerscheiben or Paddle wheels can be made. This makes it possible to understand this format change very quickly in the spatial arrangement of Trimmerscheiben and paddle wheel in a format change of the stranding machine.

Furthermore, embodiments of the invention, in particular those outlined above, offer the further advantages that thanks to the use of individual drives instead of machine drives, no oil, in particular no gear oil, is present in tobacco-near areas. Corresponding contaminations can therefore be completely excluded.

Furthermore, in all embodiments of the invention is realized by a strong reduction of the parts in the spatial arrangement of the trimmer a much simplified structure over the prior art.

Furthermore, embodiments of the invention, in particular those outlined above, offer the considerable advantage that when the trimmer discs and / or the paddle wheel wear out, they can be readjusted or readjusted automatically, so that no manual readjustment is required.

Although is out of the EP 1 380 218 B1 known to provide smooth trimmer discs with individual drives; however, these trimmer discs do not have pockets for head reinforcement because in this prior art the head reinforcement is created with an intermittently operating vacuum device mounted above the suction band. A similar prior art is known from EP 1 234 513 A1 known, in which the individual drives also drive only smooth Trimmerscheiben. In this prior art, the head reinforcement is created prior to trimming with a kind of cam head. In that regard, both of the aforementioned prior art documents do not have the combination of pocket discs and paddlewheel with single drives and thus can not realize the advantages of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that in each case a single drive for driving the at least two trimming discs and the at least one paddle wheel is provided, and a first further single drive for changing the spatial arrangement of the at least two trimming discs and the at least one paddle wheel is provided ,

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the first further individual drive is designed as an adjusting motor and for changing the spatial arrangement is in operative connection with a first adjusting device for adjusting the distance of the at least two trimmer discs to each other.

In one exemplary embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the individual drives for driving the at least two trimming disks and the at least one paddle wheel can be operated independently of one another, in particular also be operated with different numbers of revolutions.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that a second further individual drive for changing the spatial arrangement of the at least two Trimmerscheiben and the at least one paddle wheel is provided.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the second further individual drive is provided for the at least one paddle wheel.

In one exemplary embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the second further individual drive for the at least one paddle wheel is designed as an adjusting motor and is in operative connection with a second adjusting device for adjusting the distance of the at least one paddle wheel to at least one of the at least two trimmer discs.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the at least two trimmer discs are arranged at an angle to each other.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the first and / or the second adjusting device allows a linear adjustment and / or an adjustment via a pivot point.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that a control device is provided, which controls the trimming device at least with the individual drives for driving the at least two trimming disks and the at least one paddle wheel and the first further individual drive for changing the spatial arrangement of the at least two Trimmer discs and the at least one paddle wheel is in operative connection.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the control device is in operative connection with all the individual drives of the trimming device.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the control device is designed for performing an automatic calibration, with the automatic calibration of the at least two Trimmerscheiben to the at least one paddle wheel and / or the at least two Trimmerscheiben, in particular the pockets of the at least two Trimmerscheiben , is feasible to each other.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the control device is designed for carrying out the automatic calibration process such that the automatic calibration of the at least two trimming disks to the at least one paddle wheel can be carried out only after the automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks relative to one another.

In one exemplary embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred for the control device to execute an automatic adjustment of the at least two trimmer disks to one another depending on parameters predetermined by the control device, in particular parameters of a cigarette to be formed from the fiber strand.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the control device is designed to execute an automatic adjustment process of the distance of the at least one paddle wheel to at least one of the at least two trimmer discs.

In one embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that the automatic calibration of the at least two trimming disks to the at least one paddle wheel is performed only after the automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks to each other.

In one exemplary embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that an automatic adjustment of the at least two trimmer disks relative to one another is performed as a function of parameters predetermined by the control device, in particular parameters of a cigarette to be formed from the fiber strand.

In one exemplary embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention, it is preferred that an automatic adjustment of the at least two trimmer disks relative to one another is carried out as a function of parameters predetermined by the control device, in particular parameters of a cigarette to be formed from the fiber strand.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Zigarettenstrangmaschine mit nur einem Faserstrang zur Aufnahme einer ersten Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemä- β en Vorrichtung;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Ansicht einer ersten Ausführungsform der Erfindung, die in der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Zigarettenstrangmaschine Verwendung findet;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Aufsicht auf eine zweite Ausführungsform der Erfindung.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims. Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The figures of the drawing show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a cigarette rod machine with only one fiber strand for receiving a first embodiment of the inventive device s;

Fig. 2

a schematic view of a first embodiment of the invention, in the in Fig. 1 shown cigarette rod machine is used;

Fig. 3

a schematic plan view of a second embodiment of the invention.

• Von einer Schleuse 1 wird ein Vorverteiler 2 portionsweise mit Tabak beschickt. Eine Entnahmewalze 3 des Vorverteilers 2 ergänzt gesteuert einen Vorratsbehälter 4 mit Tabak, aus dem ein Steilförderer 5 Tabak entnimmt und einen Stauschacht 6 gesteuert beschickt. Aus dem Stauschacht 6 entnimmt eine Stiftwalze 7 einen gleichförmigen Tabakstrom, der von einer Ausschlagwalze 8 aus den Stiften der Stiftwalze 7 herausgeschlagen und auf ein mit konstanter Geschwindigkeit umlaufendes Streutuch 9 geschleudert wird. Ein auf dem Streutuch 9 gebildetes Tabakvlies wird in eine Sichteinrichtung 11 geschleudert, die im Wesentlichen aus einem Luftvorhang besteht, den größere bzw. schwerere Tabakteile passieren, während alle anderen Tabakteilchen von der Luft in einen von einer Stiftwalze 12 und einer Wand 13 gebildeten Trichter 14 gelenkt werden. Von der Stiftwalze 12 wird der Tabak in einen Strangführungskanal 16 gegen einen Strangförderer 17 geschleudert, an dem der Tabak mittels in eine Unterdruckkammer 18 gesaugter Luft gehalten und ein Tabakstrang aufgeschauert wird. Für eine detaillierte Beschreibung eines solchen Strangförderers 17 sei bspw. auf die DE 4215059 der Anmelderin verwiesen.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a single-strand cigarette rod machine 50, ie a stranding machine for processing tobacco fibers to a tobacco fiber strand for the production of cigarettes. The cigarette rod making machine 50 serves as an embodiment of a machine in which a first embodiment of the device according to the invention, as below with particular reference to Fig. 2 described, can be used. Likewise, a second embodiment of the device according to the invention, as below with particular reference to Fig. 3 described, are used. The operation of the cigarette rod maker 50 is as follows:

• From a lock 1, a pre-distributor 2 is charged in portions with tobacco. A removal roller 3 of the pre-distributor 2 added controlled a reservoir 4 with tobacco, from which a steep conveyor 5 takes tobacco and fed 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 pass, 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 of the tobacco is thrown into a strand guide channel 16 against a strand conveyor 17, where the tobacco held by means sucked into a vacuum chamber 18 air and a tobacco rod is aufauert. For a detailed description of such a strand conveyor 17 is, for example. On the DE 4215059 referred to the applicant.

A trained according to the invention and below with particular reference to the Figures 2 and 3 described in more detail in the FIG. 1 Trimming device 19 shown schematically removes excess tobacco from the tobacco rod, which is then placed on a run in synchronism 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 tape 24 transports the tobacco rod and the cigarette paper strip 21 through a format 26, in which the cigarette paper strip 21 is folded around the tobacco rod, so that still protrudes an edge which is glued by a Glimapparat, not shown in a known manner. Then the bond is closed and dried by a Tandemnahtplätte 27. A thus formed cigarette rod 28 passes through a strand density measuring device 29, which the device 19th controls, and is cut by a knife apparatus 31 in double-length cigarettes 32. The double-length cigarettes 32 are transferred from a transfer device 34 having a controlled arm 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.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the first embodiment 19 as a trimming device 19 of the invention, which in the in Fig. 1 shown cigarette rod machine 50 can be used.

In the FIG. 2 shown trimming device 19 for trimming a fiber strand in, for example, the stranding machine 50 of FIG. 1 has a spatial arrangement of at least two, in their outer region in each case six pockets 60a, 60b having trimmer disks 62a, 62b for removing excess fibers from the fiber strand and for introducing sections of reinforcements in the fiber strand. The trimmer device 19 further includes a paddle wheel 64 for removing excess fibers from the trimmer disks 62a, 62b. Individual drives 66a, 66b, 67 and 68 are respectively provided for the two trimmer disks 62a, 62b and the paddle wheel 64. The individual drive 66a drives the trimmer disk 62a, the individual drive 66b, the trimmer disk 62b, the individual drive 67 as adjusting motor, a first adjusting device 69, and the individual drive 68 drives the paddle wheel 64. With the individual drives 66a, 66b and 68 in particular a rotation of the trimmer discs 62a, 62b and the paddle wheel 64 is caused. With the aid of the first further individual drive 67 configured as an adjusting motor, a distance of the trimmer disks 62a, 62b, symbolically represented by the double arrow 70, is set or adjusted relative to one another via the first adjusting device 69, which is operatively connected to the individual drive 67.

Furthermore, the trimming device 19 of the FIG. 2 a second further individual drive 72, which, like the first further individual drive 67, is suitable for changing the spatial arrangement of the two trimmer disks 62a, 62b and the paddle wheel 68. Contrary to the drive 68, however, the second further individual drive 72 does not set the paddle wheel 64 in rotation but is designed as an adjusting motor in order to adjust the distance of the paddle wheel 64 from the paddle wheel 64 in operative connection with a second adjusting device 74 Adjust trim discs 62a, 62b. In an alternative, not shown embodiment, however, the second further individual drive 72 can also be omitted and optionally replaced by a mechanical, ie non-motorized and non-automatic adjustment for height adjustment of the combination paddle 64 and single drive 68.

Overall, however, with the in FIG. 1 illustrated embodiment of the invention, the paddle 64 in a manner to the trimmer discs 62, 62b adjust, the over or under speeds are made possible.

The individual drives 66a, 66b of the trimmer disks 62a, 62b are fastened to the stranding machine 50 via holders 76a, 76b.

Furthermore, the trimming device 19 has a control device 78 which is connected to the individual drives 66a, 66b, 67, 68, 72 for controlling the same via corresponding connection cables 80 (or alternatively, but not shown wireless). The controller 78 is configured to perform an automatic calibration of the trimmer disks 62a, 62b to the paddle wheel 64 and the trimmer disks 62a, 62b to each other. During the calibration or synchronization of the trimmer disks 62a, 62b, in particular the pockets 60a, 60b are synchronized with one another. The automatic calibration process with the aid of the control device 78 preferably takes place in that the automatic calibration of the two trimmer disks 62, 62b to the paddle wheel 64 is performed only after an automatic calibration or synchronization of the two trimmer disks 62a, 62b or the pockets 60a, 60 to one another.

The control device 78 is further configured such that it can perform an automatic calibration, synchronization or adjustment of the trimming device 19 as a function of parameters which correspond to the control device 78 with respect to the cigarettes formed from the fiber strand affected by the trimmer 19 or lead to them , In the case of a format change of the cigarettes to be formed, the corresponding format can be adjusted fully automatically by the control device by means of corresponding adjustment processes of the individual drives 66a, 66b, 67, 68 and 72 via the connections 80. For this purpose, the control device has a software program located in a memory 82, a computer unit 84 connected to the memory 82 for processing the data in the memory Memory 82 stored software program, a connected to the computer unit 84 and the cables 80 output unit for outputting corresponding, generated by the computer unit 84 control commands to the individual drives 66a, 66b, 67, 68 and 72. In addition, the controller may include input means, not shown, for inputting commands, such as a touch-sensitive screen and / or a conventional keyboard.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention. As the only difference to the in FIG. 2 illustrated embodiment are in the embodiment of the FIG. 3 the trimmer disks 62a, 62b are arranged at an angle to each other. In this way, the in FIG. 3 illustrated embodiment of the trimming device according to the invention can be used in a double-strand machine, since the angling of the trimmer discs 62a, 62b, the trimmer 19 can be arranged so that they can not interfere with the web of a second, in shape and position only schematically illustrated tobacco rod 88.

In the embodiments of the invention described above, the trimmer disks 62a, 62b may additionally or alternatively be of different diameters, in particular also in the form as they are known in the art, for example DE 3837201 A1 is shown, be formed.

The paddle wheel 64 of the above-described embodiments of the invention may additionally or alternatively also be formed in a manner such that it has recesses or pockets which are formed to match the pockets 60a and / or 60b of the trimmer disks 62a, 62b.

Claims (19)

Trimming device (19) for trimming a fiber strand of a stranding machine (50) of the tobacco processing industry, with a spatial arrangement of at least two, in their outer region in each case at least one pocket (60a, 60b) having Trimmerscheiben (62a, 62b) for removing excess fibers of the fiber strand and introducing reinforcing portions into the fiber strand, and at least one paddle wheel (64) for removing excess fibers from at least one of the at least two trimmer pulleys (62a, 62b),
characterized in that for the at least two trimming discs (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64) individual drives (66a, 66b, 67, 68, 72) are provided, the number of the number of trimmer discs (62a, 62b) and paddle wheels in the arrangement exceeds by at least one. Trimming device (19) according to claim 1,
wherein in each case a single drive (66a, 66b) for driving the at least two trimming disks (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64) is provided, and a first further individual drive (67, 72) for changing the spatial arrangement of the at least two Trimmer discs (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64) is provided. Trimming device (19) according to claim 2,
wherein the first further individual drive (67, 72) as an adjusting motor (67, 72) is formed and for changing the spatial arrangement in operative connection with a first adjusting device (69) for adjusting the distance of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) to each other. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims 2 or 3,
wherein the individual drives (66a, 66b, 67, 68, 72) for driving the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64) are operable independently of one another, in particular also with different numbers of revolutions are operable. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein a second further individual drive (72) for changing the spatial arrangement of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64) is provided. Trimming device (19) according to claim 5,
wherein the second further individual drive (72) for the at least one paddle wheel (64) is provided. Trimming device (19) according to claim 6,
wherein the second further individual drive (72) for the at least one paddle wheel (64) as adjusting motor (67, 72) is formed and in operative connection with a second adjusting device (74) for adjusting the distance of the at least one paddle wheel (64) to at least one of at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) is. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b) are arranged at an angle to each other. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the first (69) and / or the second (74) adjusting device enables a linear adjustment and / or an adjustment via a pivot point. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein control means (78) are provided for controlling the trimming device (19) at least with the individual drives (66a, 66b, 67, 68, 72) for driving the at least two trimming disks (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64 ) and the first further individual drive for changing the spatial arrangement of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) and the at least one paddle wheel (64) is in operative connection. Trimming device (19) according to claim 10,
wherein the control device (78) with all individual drives (66a, 66b, 67, 68, 72) of the trimming device (19) in operative connection (80). Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims 10 or 11, wherein the control device (78) is designed to carry out an automatic calibration process, with which an automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b) to the at least one paddle wheel (64) and / or the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b), in particular the pockets (60a, 60b) of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b), can be performed relative to each other. Trimming device (19) according to claim 12,
wherein the control device (78) is designed for carrying out the automatic calibration process such that the automatic calibration of the at least two trimming disks (62a, 62b) to the at least one paddle wheel (64) takes place only after the automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b). is feasible to each other. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims 10 to 13,
wherein the control device (78) for carrying out an automatic adjustment of the at least two Trimmerscheiben (62a, 62b) to each other in dependence on the control device (78) predetermined parameters, in particular of the control device (78) predetermined parameters of a cigarette to be formed from the fiber strand formed is. Trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims 10 to 14,
wherein the control means (78) for performing an automatic adjustment of the distance of the at least one paddle wheel (64) to at least one of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) is formed. Method for controlling a trimming device (19) for trimming a fiber strand of a stranding machine (50) of the tobacco processing industry, in particular a trimming device (19) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: an automatic calibration procedure is carried out, with which an automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b) to the at least one paddle wheel (64) and / or the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b), in particular the pockets (60a, 60b) of at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b), to each other is feasible. Method according to claim 16,
wherein the automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b) to the at least one paddle wheel (64) is performed only after the automatic calibration of the at least two trimmer disks (62a, 62b) to each other. Method according to one of the preceding claims 16 or 17,
wherein an automatic adjustment of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) to each other in dependence on the control means (78) predetermined parameters, in particular of the control device (78) predetermined parameters of a cigarette to be formed from the fiber strand, is performed. Method according to one of the preceding claims 16 to 18,
wherein an automatic adjustment process for adjusting the distance of the at least one paddle wheel (64) to at least one of the at least two trimmer discs (62a, 62b) is performed.

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