EP2508086A1 - Device for conveying a rod, measuring assembly with same and rod production machine with rod conveying device and/or measuring assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (10) has a housing (11) provided with a strand passage channel (13), and a format guide (14) provided for a strand (15) and arranged within the strand passage channel. The format guide is designed as a radially adjustable multi-point bearing, and the strand passage channel extends into the housing. The format guide has guide bodies and an adjustable mechanism resting against the strand for radial adjustment of the guide bodies. The adjustable mechanism is designed as a mechanically and/or electrically driven rotary chuck. The guide bodies are designed as a pin, bolt, roller, blade, ball, angle ring and a clamp. An independent claim is also included for a measuring arrangement.

Description

The invention relates to a strand guiding device, designed and arranged for guiding strands of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a housing having at least one strand passageway extending through the housing, wherein within the or each strand passage channel a format guide for the strand to be led is arranged.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a measuring arrangement, designed and adapted for measuring strands of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a measuring head with at least one measuring station, wherein within the measuring head at least one strand passage channel is formed and the measuring head is assigned at least one strand guiding device for the strand to be measured ,

The invention also relates to a strand production machine for producing strands of the tobacco processing industry with a strand guiding device and / or a measuring arrangement.

Such strand guiding devices are used in the tobacco processing industry to guide strands, that is, endless strands or strand sections of tobacco, blends of tobacco, filter material or other materials and blends of materials suitable for making cigarettes, cigarillos or the like. Usually, the strands and strand sections are subject to vibrations due to their length or externally applied loads, for example due to transport or other machining operations, such as the cutting operations for separating the strands into strand sections. These vibrations and / or the sagging of a poorly routed strand will cause it to be subject to additional stresses and will tend to fracture, particularly due to the high speeds at which the strands and strand sections are transported. Therefore, the selectively wrapped or sheath-free strands and strand sections are continuously transported through the strand passageway of the housing. By means of the format guide the strands, strand sections or the like are guided. The strand guiding device usually comprises a format guide, which is known to be a format part which is closely tolerated with respect to its inner diameter with respect to the outer diameter of the strand to be transported and conveyed, so that the strand guided and transported in the format part lies in the format part with little play or play. Each usually permanently installed format part is in each case designed for a format, ie a strand diameter.

The guiding of the strands or strand sections is particularly important in measuring arrangements of the type mentioned at the beginning, since inaccurate guidance and the oscillation of the strands or strand sections lead to inaccurate measurement results. In other words, the stations upstream and / or downstream of the measuring station initiate vibrations on the strand for the purpose of carrying out different machining operations and the transport itself, which vibrations lead to a negative influence on the measurement results. In order to limit these vibrations in their dimensions, the measuring arrangement has a guide, by means of which the vibrations are at least partially suppressed. More precisely, a strand guiding device is associated with the measuring head, by means of which the strand is calmed and guided. With a strand guiding device, a measuring arrangement with a strand guiding device or a strand production machine with a strand guiding device and / or a measuring arrangement, however, strands or strand sections of different formats should be guided, measured and produced. In particular, a brand change usually requires the adaptation of the format guide to a changed diameter of the strand. In the measuring arrangement, for example, the density of the strand, the nature and / or composition of the strand, the envelope or other parameters can be measured by optical measuring systems, by infrared technology or by other conventional measuring methods and measuring systems by means of the or each measuring station. So far, there is the Possibility to adapt the strand guiding device or the measuring arrangement to the respective strand format by exchanging the guides or the format parts adapted to the respective strand. However, the previous solution has a wealth of disadvantages. On the one hand, it is expensive to provide the strand guiding devices or measuring arrangements for different formats completely in stock. On the other hand, a format change lacks flexibility in the production machine when the diameter of the strand changes. Furthermore, the cleaning of such strand guiding devices and measuring arrangements, and in particular the adapted to the narrow diameter of the strands format parts difficult because of the bottlenecks. For special formats or format variants format parts must be made individually, which on the one hand increases the costs and on the other hand extends the processing times in the order processing.

The document DE 1 180 662 discloses a strand guiding apparatus having the features of the preamble of claim 1. The format guide described therein is formed by a ring made of deformable material. This ring is pressurized axially by means of an adjustable element, wherein the pressure changes lead to a change in the cross section of the ring. However, this constructive solution involves a number of disadvantages that stand in the way of an exact measurement. First, the ring of deformable material ensures insufficient centering, since the center can move through the change of the guide cross-section of the ring. In other words, the center of the guide ring is not reproducibly adjustable, which leads to measurement inaccuracies. On the other hand, the desired high measurement accuracy requires a very small annular gap between the strand and the guide body. In a guide ring made of deformable material, therefore, there is a risk of trapping, since the guide ring and the actuating element are only indirectly in operative connection with each other. Furthermore, said document describes that the guide ring is made of a deformable, compliant material, which equates to unfavorable hysteresis behavior. This means that the guide ring can continue to deform even after the introduction of the axial adjustment force. A tightly tolerated leadership can not be achieved.

The invention is thus based on the object to provide a strand guiding device which ensures the guiding of different formats in a simple and reliable manner. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a measuring arrangement by means of which different formats can be checked easily and reliably. The object continues to be to propose a corresponding strand production machine.

This object is achieved by a strand guiding device of the type mentioned above in that the or each format guide is designed as a radially adjustable multipoint bearing. With this embodiment of the invention, a format-independent strand guiding device is created, with the aid of which a so-called "quick-size change" can be made possible. In other words, it is possible in a simple and cheap way to adapt the strand guiding device to the respective strand format to be performed. In other words, the strand guiding device ensures maximum flexibility in adapting the format guide to different diameters of the strands to be led. An adaptation can be done by this training without conversion effort, which makes the changeover times, e.g. significantly shortened when changing a brand. With a format guide according to the invention an individual and continuous adjustment of the format guide to all diameters in a defined range, for the strands / strand sections of the tobacco processing industry, for example, between 3 and 12mm, reliably ensured.

An expedient development of the invention is characterized in that the or each format guide comprises at least two adjacent to the leading strand leading body and at least one adjusting mechanism for radially adjusting the guide body. With this particularly simple design of an adjustable Mehrpunktlagerung, so a storage with two or more storage points, a cost-effective and reliable format guide is created. The adjusting mechanism ensures that the format guide or, more precisely, the guide body can be adjusted radially outward during standstill or when changing a format, in order to provide a larger passage area and, during operation, preferably automatically radially inwards to the narrower passage area Diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the strands to be led, are adjustable. With the application of the radial adjustment movement of the guide body, a particularly accurate annular gap between the guide bodies and the leading strand can be set.

Advantageously, all guide bodies are arranged in the circumferential direction of the leading strand with a distance from one another. In other words, no annular, surrounding the entire circumference guide is provided, but rather a point guide, whereby the risk of clamping is reduced.

A particularly expedient development of the invention is characterized in that there is a rigid operative connection between the guide bodies guiding the strand and the adjusting mechanism. This means that the adjusting movement of the adjusting mechanism can be transferred directly and reproducibly to the guide bodies, so that the center point always has an identical position regardless of the size of the format, as a result of which a high measuring accuracy can be achieved. This further ensures that the annular gap between the guide bodies and the leading strand can be set exactly, resulting in a further reduction of the risk of clamping.

An advantageous development is characterized in that each format guide has three guide bodies distributed uniformly over the circumference. With such a three-point bearing, in which the guide body are arranged offset in an angular arrangement by 120 °, in addition to the format flexibility a particularly reliable calming of the strand is achieved.

Conveniently, all the guide bodies associated with a common adjustment mechanism. As a result, the handling is particularly simplified and improves the reliability of the leadership. In particular, the synchronous adjustment of all guide body ensures a tilt-free adjustment and leadership of the strand.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the guide body in the radially outward direction to a waiting position are retractable so far that the diameter described by the inner sides of the guide body in the waiting position is equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the strand passage channel. This simplifies in particular the cleaning of the strand passage channel. The accessibility in the strand passage channel from the outside is thus substantially improved. Furthermore, the regions of the strand passage channel lying in the transport direction behind the format guides can be unhindered, e.g. be achieved for the purpose of inspection.

The object is also achieved by a measuring arrangement of the type mentioned above in that the or each strand guiding device is designed according to one of claims 1 to 10. The resulting advantages have already been described in connection with the strand guiding device, so reference is made to avoid repetition on the corresponding passages.

Advantageously, the or each strand production device is optionally arranged in the region of an inlet of the measuring head and / or an outlet of the measuring head and / or at an arbitrary position between a plurality of measuring stations of the measuring head between the inlet and the outlet. Depending on the length of the strand passage channel and / or the position of the vibration triggering operations or devices for performing the machining operations, it may be useful only at the inlet or only at the outlet or only between the inlet and the outlet or both at the inlet and on Outlet one or more strand guide devices or format guides provide. However, other aspects, such as particularly large vibrations, may result in providing multiple strand guiding devices instead of a single strand guiding device to ensure optimum guidance and calming of the strands.

In a preferred embodiment of the measuring arrangement according to the invention, the or each strand guiding device is an integral part of the measuring head. This will a compact and usable as a module measuring arrangement created, which is universally applicable.

The object is also achieved by a strand manufacturing machine for producing strands of the tobacco processing industry with at least one strand guiding device according to one of claims 1 to 10 and / or with a measuring arrangement according to one of claims 11 to 13. The resulting advantages have already been described above ,

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung mehrerer Strangführungsvorrichtungen mit einem im Strangdurchlaufkanal befindlichen Strang,

Fig. 2

eine erste Ausführungsform einer Formatführung mit drei als Kufen ausgebildeten Führungskörpern,

Fig. 3

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Formatführung,

Fig. 4

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Formatführung,

Fig. 5

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Formatführung,

Fig. 6

eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Formatführung, und

Fig. 7

eine schematische Darstellung einer Messanordnung mit zwei der Messanordnung zugeordneten Strangführungsvorrichtungen.

Further expedient and / or advantageous features and further developments emerge from the subclaims and the description. Particularly preferred embodiments will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of several strand guiding devices with a strand located in the strand passage,

Fig. 2

a first embodiment of a format guide with three runners designed as runners,

Fig. 3

another embodiment of a format guide,

Fig. 4

another embodiment of a format guide,

Fig. 5

another embodiment of a format guide,

Fig. 6

another embodiment of a format guide, and

Fig. 7

a schematic representation of a measuring arrangement with two of the measuring arrangement associated strand guiding devices.

The strand guiding device shown in the drawing is designed and arranged for guiding strands of the tobacco processing industry. The corresponding measuring arrangement is designed and set up for measuring strands of the tobacco-processing industry, for example made of tobacco. Of course, both the strand guiding device and the measuring arrangement are also suitable for guiding or measuring other strands or rod-shaped articles.

Each of the in FIG. 1 The strand guide device 10 shown schematically comprises a housing 11 with at least one strand passage channel 13 extending through the housing 11. The strand passage channel 13 is assigned at least one format guide 14 for the strand 15 to be guided. In other words, the strand guiding device 10 within the strand passage 13 comprises at least one format guide 14 for the strand 15. The strand 15 itself is continuously transportable in the transport direction T by transport conveyors not explicitly shown, for example a format belt or other conventional transport means. The invention is characterized by the fact that the or each format guide 14 is formed as a radially adjustable multipoint storage. This means that the format guide 14 is not rigidly formed with a fixed guide diameter but is flexibly adaptable to the respective strand diameter. Due to the radial adjustment, the format guide 14 is automatically and virtually on-line to the desired diameter of the test string 15 to adjust.

In the following, functional and / or advantageous features and embodiments of the strand guiding device 10 according to the invention will be described, each of which further develops the invention alone or in combination with one another.

The or each format guide 14 comprises at least two adjacent to leading strand 15 guide body 17 and at least one adjusting mechanism 18 for radially adjusting the guide body 17. For guiding the strand 15, two guide body 17 are sufficient. However, the format guide 14 preferably has three guide bodies 17, which in turn are preferably distributed uniformly over the circumference, ie offset by 120 ° in each case (for example in an angular arrangement of 15 ° / 135 ° / 255 °). The angle arrangement may vary as well as the number of guide body 17. Regardless of the number of guide body 17 all guide body 17 in the circumferential direction of the leading strand 15 with a Spaced apart. Between adjacent guide bodies 17 therefore a free space is formed on both sides. The guide body 17, which are preferably formed of a non-deformable material, form in operation of the strand guide device 10 with its side facing the strand 15 / surface the contact surfaces for the strand 15 so that it calms and thereby low-vibration in the strand passage channel 13 is transportable. To get from the leadership position (operating state) in the waiting or strand release position (standstill position) and vice versa, the or each guide body 17 of the adjustment mechanism 18 is assigned. Optionally, all guide bodies 17 of a format guide 14 are assigned a single, common adjusting mechanism 18. This acts synchronously on all guide body 17. Alternatively, each guide body 17 may have its own adjusting mechanism 18, wherein the adjusting mechanisms 18 are then preferably synchronized. Preferably, there is a rigid operative connection between the guide bodies 17 guiding the strand 15 and the adjusting mechanism 18.

As adjusting mechanism 18 for the adjustment of the guide body 17 is for example a lathe chuck 19 into consideration. This trained as a jaw or chuck lathe chuck 19 may be operated or driven mechanically or electrically. Optionally, the adjusting mechanism 18 is also connected to a control means not explicitly shown. The adjustment mechanism 18 may optionally also be formed from a pneumatic or hydraulic device, in which the adjustment against a spring force (see, eg FIG. 5 ) he follows. Other adjustment mechanisms 18 may, for example, by means of a sleeve mechanism with a slanted pressure surface (see, eg FIG. 6 ) or be formed by toothed belts.

The design of the guide body 17 may also vary. They may be formed, for example, as a pin, bolt, skid, ball, angle, jaw or in any other suitable form. In the FIG. 2 a three-jaw chuck 22 is shown, which has three guide bodies 17, which are formed in the embodiment shown as differently shaped skids 23. Two runners 23 have a linear guide or contact surface, while a third runner 23 has an angled guide or contact surface, so that a total of four guide or contact points are formed. Of the Adjustment mechanism 18 for the guide body 17 is indicated only by the arrows with respect to the direction of movement. Corresponding is the FIG. 3 can be seen in which the guide body 17 are each formed as a pin 24. The FIG. 4 shows an example of an embodiment of the guide body 17 as pivotable about a pivot point D guide blocks 25 which are hinged about the pivot point D to the strand 15 and away from it. In the solution according to FIG. 5 two guide body 17 are provided, one of which is designed as a flat guide 26 and another angle guide 27. The two guide bodies 17 are spring-loaded and form a three-point bearing. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6 the guide body 17 is also spring-loaded and by means of a sliding element 28 on the inclined plane radially to the strand 15 and away from this adjustable.

All guide bodies 17 of all embodiments can have a radial adjustment path, which makes it possible for the guide bodies 17 to be in the waiting or strand release position, ie to be withdrawn radially outward at a distance from the strand 15 and, secondly, in the guiding position close to or on the strand 15. Particularly preferably, the guide body 17 in the radially outward so far retractable in a waiting position that the diameter described by the inner sides or guide surfaces of the guide body 17 diameter F _Di in the waiting position is equal to or greater than the inner diameter K _{Di of} the strand flow channel 13 Im Operating state corresponds to the diameter F _Di about the outer diameter of the strand 15th

In the FIG. 7 a measuring assembly 30 is shown, which is designed and arranged for measuring strands 15 of the tobacco processing industry and which comprises a measuring head 31 with at least one measuring station 32. The number of measuring stations 32 can vary. In the embodiment shown, two measuring stations 32 are provided. The measuring stations 32 may be, for example, optical diameter measuring means, optical strand inspection units, microwave measuring means or other common measuring systems. Within the measuring head 31, a strand passage channel 13 is formed. At least one strand guiding device 10 for the strand 15 to be measured is assigned to the measuring head 31. In the shown embodiment, a strand guiding device 10 is arranged both on the input side and on the output side. According to the invention, the or each strand guiding device 10 is formed in the manner described above.

The or each measuring station 32 is usually connected to an evaluation unit 16, for example a personal computer (PC), wherein the PC can also be used as a control unit. This control unit can be in operative connection with the control means of the adjusting mechanism 18. The control units can also be combined to form a common control unit. Each measuring arrangement 30 can have one but also more than one strand guiding device 10. In a first embodiment, a single strand guiding device 10 may be arranged in the region of an inlet 20 of the measuring head 31 or in the region of an outlet 21 of the measuring head 31. However, a strand guiding device 10 can also be arranged at an arbitrary position between several measuring stations 32 of the measuring head 31 between the inlet 20 and the outlet 21. In the case of more than one strand guiding device 10, ie an n-fold number of strand guiding devices 10, they can be distributed over the entire length of the strand flow channel 13 from the inlet 20 to the outlet 21 as desired.

In the embodiment according to the FIG. 7 The individual measuring stations 32 each form a type of disk-like module. This or each module may optionally be associated with a separate strand guiding device 10, which may also be a disc-like module. In further embodiments not explicitly illustrated, the or each strand guiding device 10 may also be an integral part of the measuring head 31 or of the individual measuring stations 32. In further developments of the measuring arrangement 30, the measuring head 31 can also have a plurality of preferably parallel strand passages 13. This depends, in particular, on whether the measuring arrangement 30 is part of a strand or multiple strand production machine, for example.

As described above, the strand guiding devices 10 and / or the measuring arrangements 30 may be part of a strand manufacturing machine. A detailed description of such string making machines for tobacco products or filter products will be omitted, as these machines are well known in the art are known. However, it is complicated to retrofit these strand production machines for each format change. Such known strand production machines are characterized according to the invention in that the or each strand guiding device 10 and / or the or each measuring arrangement 30 are formed in the manner described above. This can be achieved in a simple manner a modular design, the strand-making machine can be additionally adapted to different formats without additional effort. It is also possible to remove individual measuring heads 31 or measuring stations 32 from a strand production machine and to replace or bridge these areas released by the strand guiding devices 10 in order to achieve continuous support and guidance of the strand 15, independently of this Format.

Claims (14)

A strand guiding apparatus (10) adapted and arranged to guide strands (15) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a housing (11) having at least one strand passageway (13) extending through the housing (11), wherein within the or each strand passageway (13) a format guide (14) is arranged for the leading strand (15), characterized in that the or each format guide (14) is designed as a radially adjustable multipoint storage. Strand guiding device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the or each format guide (14) at least two on leading strand (15) adjacent guide body (17) and at least one adjusting mechanism (18) for radially adjusting the guide body (17). Strand guiding device according to claim 2, characterized in that all guide bodies (17) are arranged at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction of the strand (15) to be guided. Strand guiding device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that there is a rigid operative connection between the guide bodies (17) guiding the strand (15) and the adjusting mechanism (18). Strand guiding device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each format guide (14) has three uniformly distributed over the circumference guide body (17). Strand guiding device (10) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the or each guide body (17) is designed as a pin, bolt, roller, skid, ball, angle, jaw or the like. Strand guiding device (10) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that all the guide bodies (17) are associated with a common adjusting mechanism (18). Strand guiding device (10) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that each guide body (17) is associated with a separate adjusting mechanism (18). Strand guiding device (10) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the adjusting mechanism (18) is a mechanically and / or electrically driven lathe chuck (19). Strand guiding device (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the guide body (17) in the radially outward direction to a waiting position are retractable so far that the diameter described by the inner sides of the guide body (17) in the waiting position or larger than the inner diameter of the strand passage channel (13). Measuring arrangement (30), designed and arranged for measuring strands (15) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a measuring head (31) with at least one measuring station (32), wherein within the measuring head (31) at least one strand passage channel (13) is formed, and at least one strand guiding device (10) for the strand (15) to be measured is assigned to the measuring head (31), characterized in that the or each strand guiding device (10) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 10. Measuring arrangement (30) according to claim 11, characterized in that the or each strand guiding device (10) optionally in the region of an inlet (20) of the measuring head (31) and / or an outlet (21) of the measuring head (31) and / or on a any position between several measuring stations (32) of the measuring head (31) between the inlet (20) and the outlet (21) is arranged. Measuring arrangement (30) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the or each strand guiding device (10) is an integral part of the measuring head (31). A strand manufacturing machine for producing strands of the tobacco processing industry with at least one strand guiding device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10 and / or with a measuring arrangement (30) according to one of claims 11 to 13.

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