EP3381303B1 - Method for producing at least double-layer tubular strands in the tobacco processing industry and device for producing at least double-layer strands of tobacco - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing at least two-ply tubular strands for the tobacco processing industry.

The invention also relates to a device for the production of at least two-ply tubular strands for the tobacco processing industry.

In the tobacco processing industry, rods, for example tobacco rods, filter rods or hollow tubes, are produced in order to cut them into individual sections, which are then further processed into filter cigarettes, for example.

In addition, small tubes, for example cardboard tubes or paper tubes, are used, for example, to provide special filters, such as a recess filter or a hollow filter. In addition, such Tubes also used as spacers in heat-not-burn products. A corresponding tube should have a certain stability, which is why it is known to produce multi-walled paper tubes. Such tubes are cut to length from hollow pipe strands.

the end DE 25 56 332 A1 a method and a machine for producing a multi-walled paper tube for smoking article mouthpiece sleeves are known in which a continuous paper strip, the width of which corresponds to at least twice the circumference of the tube to be produced, is continuously pulled off a roll, the strip in the longitudinal direction by weakening with a A fold line is provided by which the strip is divided into two strip sections, the two strip sections being folded together along the fold line, the folded strip being formed into a double-walled tube. Here, the ends of the paper strip are connected by overlapping or underlapping the paper strip with the folded and bent edge.

EP 3 033 952 A2 discloses a two-ply tube used in the tobacco processing industry and an apparatus and method for making such a tube.

In order to improve the quality of strands or tubes based on two strips of material, devices for separating the strips of base material are used, for example as shown in FIG EP 1 186 247 B1 are disclosed. This device comprises a longitudinal cutting device for cutting a strip of base material, measuring elements for monitoring the width of the partial webs that arise after the strip of base material has been cut, and an actuating element. The measuring devices monitor whether there is a deviation in the width, i.e. the expansion of the material strips transversely to the cutting direction, between the two partial webs. If such a width deviation is determined, the control element brings the relative transverse adjustment of the center line of the base material strip into line with the position of the longitudinal cut of the longitudinal cutting device. on this ensures that the partial webs always have the same width.

After shaping into a tubular strand, however, the circumference of the circle defined by the inner strip of material in the cross section of the strand differs from the circumference of the circle defined by the outer strip of material in the cross section of the strand. When using two material strips with the same width, the edges defining the width of the outer material strip are spaced apart after the material strips have been formed into a tubular strand and / or at the edges defining the width of the inner material strip there is an overlap or underlap of the inner strip of material. Such joint areas, overlaps and underlaps reduce the quality and the stability of strands or tubes produced in this way.

In addition, the outside diameter of a strand or tube produced using two strips of material with the same width is dependent on the width of the strip of base material. If the width of the base material strip changes, for example as a result of production defects, the outside diameter of the tubular strands or tubes produced from these base material strips also changes. This has the consequence that the outside diameter and thus the quality of the strands or tubes produced depend in particular on the width variance of the base material strip.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device by means of which the quality of strands or tubes produced in this way can be improved, this improved quality having a lower dependence on a width variance of the base material strip.

• Fördern eines Basismaterialstreifens in längsaxialer Förderrichtung,
• längsaxiales Schneiden des Basismaterialstreifens in einen ersten Materialstreifen mit einer ersten Breite und einen zweiten Materialstreifen mit einer zweiten Breite, wobei die Breite des ersten und/oder des zweiten Materialstreifens gemessen und das Schneiden so gesteuert wird, dass die Breite des gemessenen Materialstreifens auf einen vorgegebenen Wert gestellt wird,
• Beleimen wenigstens des zweiten Materialstreifens, wobei insbesondere das Beleimen vollflächig oder annähernd vollflächig geschieht,
• versetztes Zusammenführen des ersten und des zweiten Materialstreifens, so dass der erste und der zweite Materialstreifen übereinander gelegt und miteinander verklebt werden, und
• Formen der miteinander verklebten Materialstreifen in einen rohrförmigen Strang.

This object is achieved by a method for producing at least two-ply tubular strands for tobacco processing Industry with the following process steps:

• Conveying a strip of base material in the longitudinal direction of conveyance,
• longitudinally axial cutting of the base material strip into a first material strip with a first width and a second material strip with a second width, the width of the first and / or the second material strip being measured and the cutting being controlled so that the width of the measured material strip is set to a predetermined value is provided,
• Gluing at least the second strip of material, in particular the gluing takes place over the entire surface or approximately over the entire surface,
• offset merging of the first and second material strips so that the first and second material strips are placed on top of one another and glued to one another, and
• Forming the glued-together strips of material into a tubular strand.

The base material strip usually has a fixed width with a width variance which is specified by the manufacturer of the base material strip. Such a width can be, for example, 31.30 mm with a width variance of 0.05 mm. In the context of the invention, setting is in particular controlling or regulating.

By setting, controlling or regulating the cutting process to the width of a material strip, the width of this material strip has a predetermined fixed size. This width is independent of the width of the base material strip. In this way, a consistently high quality of the inner or outer strips formed from this material strip Outer strand wall, reached. Since in this way at least one strand wall has a constant quality, the quality of the strands or tubes produced in this way also has a lower dependence on the width variance of the base material strip.

The base material strip is preferably conveyed along its longitudinal axis for cutting. The at least one knife, in particular a circular knife, is preferably stationary during cutting, that is to say is not moved linearly. For this purpose, in the case of a knife designed as a circular knife, the axis of rotation of the circular knife is stationary.

The material strip, the width of which is set to a predetermined value, is preferably the first material strip, the first material strip forming the inner layer in the radial direction and the second material strip forming the outer layer in the radial direction of the tubular strand.

By setting, controlling or regulating the width of the first strip of material, the quality of the strands produced is increased, since the width of the first strip of material determines the diameter, in particular the outer diameter, of the strand produced. By defining a first width, strands with a constant outer diameter can accordingly be produced, even if there is a change in the width of the base material strip.

It is particularly preferred if the first strip of material is shaped in the shaping of the strips of material glued to one another in a tubular strand in such a way that the edges defining the first width are in abutment.

The inner strip of material is crucial for the stability of the strand produced. The stability and quality is improved in particular in the case of strands in which the edges defining the first width are abutted compared to strands in which there is a distance between these edges exist or there is an overlap or an underlap of these edges.

The outer diameter of the tubular strand is preferably calculated by means of the predetermined first width, it being determined whether the calculated outer diameter lies within a, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range.

By specifying such a tolerance range for the outer diameter of the tubular strand, it is checked whether the strands produced or the tubes produced after the strand has been cut to length are suitable for the intended use, for example as a filter strand. Since the outside diameter of the strand produced is determined solely by the first width and the known thickness of the material strips, the outside diameter can be calculated using simple geometric considerations. In a first approximation, the diameter is equal to the first width divided by the number Pi (3.14159265359), with the thickness of the material strip being added twice. With a thickness of the material strip of 0.125 mm and a first width of 15.250 mm, this results, for example, in an outer diameter of 5.229 mm.

Preferably, the first width, depending on the width of the base material strip determined by means of a measurement, is specified in such a way that the outer diameter of the tubular strand is varied within the, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range so that the distance between the edges defining the second width after shaping in a tubular strand is minimized, in particular minimized so that the edges defining the second width are in abutment.

This makes use of the fact that no fixed value, but rather a tolerance range, is specified for the outer diameter of the strands. By varying the outside diameter within the limits of this tolerance range, the distance between the edges defining the second width is achieved is minimized and the edges defining the first width continue to abut. The variation of the outside diameter is carried out solely by varying the first width.

In particular, this procedure produces strands which have inner and outer joint areas with a width of 0.0 mm, the edges defining the width of the first and second material strips are butted, and thus have high stability and quality. Even if the base material strip has a width variance, i.e. the width of the base material strip changes during the continuous execution of this process, strands are still produced in which the edges defining the width of the first and second material strips are butted and the outer diameter of the strands only changed within the tolerance range.

Preferably, when calculating an outside diameter lying outside the, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range and / or a distance of the edges defining the second width outside a further, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range, a warning message is output, in particular the method is stopped.

This is advantageous in order to ensure the production of strands suitable for the area of application and thus to avoid waste of material.

A height adjustment of an upper format of a format device is preferably carried out as a function of the outer diameter of the tubular strand.

The format device serves to shape the material strips that are glued together into a tubular strand. In order to improve the quality of the strands produced, it is therefore advantageous to adapt the format device to the calculated outer diameter of the strand.

Preferably, the position of the material strips in the direction transverse to the conveying direction is regulated so that after forming into a tubular strand, the outer joint area, preferably the outer joint area and the inner joint area, are aligned in the circumferential direction of the strand with respect to an upper format of a format device, preferably the outer joint area is aligned centrally under the upper format.

With a device according to EP 3 056 097 A1 the position of the material strip can be set with a very high degree of accuracy. This device can preferably be arranged just in front of the format device in the conveying direction.

Such an alignment of the joint areas makes sense if an adhesive or glue is used for gluing, which hardens by heating or cooling. In this case, the upper format of the format device, which is used to form the material strips in a tubular strand, can be designed as a heated or cooled upper format in order to accelerate the hardening of the adhesive or glue. A detachment of an edge area can thus be prevented efficiently. Thorough curing of the adhesive or glue for gluing the joint areas, in particular the outer joint area, leads to the production of strands with a high level of stability and quality.

In order to accelerate the hardening of the adhesive or glue for gluing the joint areas, the outer joint area can be aligned with respect to the circumference of the strand by aligning the position of the material strips in the direction transverse to the conveying direction so that it is centered and directly under the heated or cooled upper format, i.e. in a 12 o'clock position with an upper format arranged centrally above the strand.

In order to achieve a high stability of the tubular strand, the inner joint area should be arranged offset in the circumferential direction of the strand with respect to the outer joint area. The distance in the circumferential direction between the outer joint area and the inner joint area is preferably regulated in such a way that the inner joint area is also heated or cooled to the greatest possible extent for curing the adhesive by the upper format, but there is still a sufficiently large distance in the circumferential direction to achieve a high stability of the strand.

Preferably, when the first and second material strips are brought together in an offset manner, an overlap area of the first and second material strip is produced, the width of the overlap area being kept at a constant value.

• eine Materialstreifenzuführvorrichtung,
• eine Schneidvorrichtung, umfassend wenigstens ein Messer, insbesondere wenigstens ein rotierendes Kreismesser, zum längsaxialen Schneiden eines Basismaterialstreifens in einen ersten Materialstreifen mit einer ersten Breite und einen zweiten Materialstreifen mit einer zweiten Breite,
• ein Stellorgan zur Ausrichtung der relativen Querverstellung, also der Ausrichtung in Querrichtung, des Basismaterialstreifens bezüglich der Position des wenigstens einen Messers, wodurch die Schnittposition und hierdurch die erste und zweite Breite festgelegt wird,
• eine Messvorrichtung zur Messung der Breite des ersten Materialstreifens und/oder des zweiten Materialstreifens,
• eine Steuerungs- oder Regelungsvorrichtung, der die Daten der Messvorrichtung zugeführt werden oder zuführbar sind und die so eingerichtet ist, dass sie das Stellorgan so steuert, dass die Breite des vermessenen Materialstreifens auf einen vorgegebenen oder vorgebbaren Wert gesteuert, insbesondere geregelt, wird,
• eine Beleimvorrichtung, mittels der der erste Materialstreifen oder der zweite Materialstreifen beleimbar ist,
• eine Zusammenführvorrichtung, mittels der die Materialstreifen zum Verkleben miteinander so zusammen geführt werden, dass die Materialstreifen versetzt zueinander übereinander liegen, und
• eine Formatvorrichtung, in der aus den zusammengeführten Materialstreifen ein rohrförmiger Strang gebildet wird oder herstellbar ist.

The object is also achieved by a device for the production of at least double-layered tubular strands in the tobacco processing industry, comprising:

• a strip feeder,
• a cutting device comprising at least one knife, in particular at least one rotating circular knife, for the longitudinal axial cutting of a base material strip into a first material strip with a first width and a second material strip with a second width,
• an actuator for aligning the relative transverse adjustment, i.e. the alignment in the transverse direction, of the base material strip with respect to the position of the at least one knife, whereby the cutting position and thereby the first and second widths are determined,
• a measuring device for measuring the width of the first strip of material and / or the second strip of material,
• a control or regulating device to which the data of the measuring device are fed or can be fed and which is set up so that it controls the actuator in such a way that the width of the measured material strip is controlled, in particular regulated, to a predefined or predefinable value,
• a gluing device by means of which the first strip of material or the second strip of material can be glued,
• a merging device, by means of which the material strips are brought together for gluing together in such a way that the material strips are offset from one another, and
• a format device in which a tubular strand is formed or can be produced from the merged strips of material.

The material strip feed device can be feed rollers via which a material strip of a corresponding width can be conveyed. Such a material strip is usually attracted by a material strip reel and conveyed into the corresponding device. The material strip is conveyed in one direction along the longitudinal axis of the material strip.

The actuator can be, for example, a pair of rollers contacting the base material strip on the upper and lower sides, which can be pivoted by motor around a common axis of rotation running perpendicular to the roller axes and perpendicular to the conveying direction of the base material strip. The actuator is arranged behind the material strip feed device in the conveying direction.

In the case of the cutting device, which is preferably in the conveying direction of the material strip is arranged downstream of the actuator, it is a longitudinal cutter that cuts into the material strip in the longitudinal axial direction.

One knife, in particular a circular knife, is preferably stationary during cutting, that is to say is not moved linearly. For this purpose, in the case of a knife designed as a circular knife, the axis of rotation of the circular knife is stationary.

The measuring device, which is arranged behind the cutting device in the conveying direction, can, for example, be at least one photoelectric compact laser light barrier or laser light barrier.

The control or regulation device can be, for example, a computer system with input and output channels. It is set up so that it receives the data from the measuring device, carries out the calculation necessary to determine the cutting position and controls or regulates the control element or the rotation of the control element so that the measured material strip is cut to the calculated width.

By using a control or regulating device that is set up so that it controls or regulates the width of a material strip to a predetermined fixed size, a constant quality of the strand wall formed from this material strip and thus a lower dependence on the width variance of the base material strip is preferably achieved achieved.

The glue device connected to the measuring device applies glue to at least one of the two material strips, ie the first and / or the second material strip, essentially over the entire surface Format device an end portion of the second strip of material is pressed to close a seam on the first strip of material. However, this area can also be glued or provided with adhesive in a subsequent step. The gluing device can be a gluing device that corresponds to a gluing device that is used in the EP 2 974 798 A1 is described.

The gluing device is followed in the conveying direction by a merging device which, within the scope of the invention, preferably comprises a paper position adjusting device or paper position adjusting device, by means of which the lateral position, ie a relative position of the first and second material strips to one another, transversely to the conveying direction, are set can, in order to provide only a partial overlap of the first and second material strip, so that seen from the width of this material strip a part protrudes to the left and a part to the right.

The device for the production of at least two-ply tubular strands of the tobacco processing industry can also be used for the production of two-ply tubes. For this purpose, the tubular strand is cut to length, for example using a conventional knife device. Provision can also initially be made for the tubular rod produced to be fed to a further machine, for example a filter rod machine or a tobacco rod machine, in order to arrange a filter material or a tobacco material around the tubular rod. At the end, a wrapping material strip can then be wrapped around the strand that is then formed, in order then to cut rods with the double-layered tubes contained therein accordingly.

In addition, a separating device is preferably provided which spatially separates the first material strip or the second material strip from the respective other material strip in the conveying direction after the cutting device. This enables very precise positioning and merging of the first and the second strip of material take place, so that the relative lateral position to one another can be precisely adjusted. In addition, a clean gluing of only one strip of material is made possible in this case.

It is particularly preferred here if a first surface of the first and a first surface of the second material strip, which point in the same direction, still point in the same direction after the first and second material strip have been joined. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the first and second material strips are rotated by 180 ° relative to one another after cutting so that a first surface that was present before cutting and which is cut into two first surfaces with the same orientation is brought together in such a way that the first Surfaces of the first and second strips of material are arranged to one another.

In addition, a first heating device can be provided between the merging device of the format device. The adhesive can be pre-cured by means of the first heating device, so that the first and second strips of material are held together and are still deformable, preferably in such a way that the shape essentially holds by itself.

The gluing device preferably provides full-area or approximately full-area gluing of the first and / or the second strip of material.

A seam gluing device is preferably provided between the merging device and the format device, in particular between the first heating device and the format device. The seam gluing device is used when the previous gluing device does not provide full-surface gluing. What is meant is the gluing that was not carried out over the entire surface in the transverse axial direction and thus a glue only by means of the seam gluing device or an adhesive is applied, which is used to close the seam. A complete gluing should preferably be carried out transversely to the longitudinal axis by the gluing device and also the seam gluing device.

The format device preferably comprises a second heating device. The second heating device can, for example, be arranged in the upper format of the format device and is used, in particular, preferably for the complete setting of the seam adhesive.

An alternative variant can also be provided, for example connecting the device shown upstream of a conventional strand machine and using a commonly used seam plate as a further heating device in the conventional strand machine. In this preferred embodiment of a corresponding machine of the tobacco processing industry, a corresponding tubular strand or a corresponding double-layered tube of the tobacco processing industry can then be produced with significantly improved running stability.

The control or regulating device is preferably set up in such a way that it controls or regulates the first width, the first material strip forming the inner layer in the radial direction and the second material strip forming the outer layer in the radial direction of the multi-layer tubular strand.

The control or regulating device is particularly preferably set up in such a way that it controls or regulates the first width in such a way that the edges defining the first width are butted after being formed into a tubular strand.

Furthermore, the control or regulating device is preferably set up in such a way that it also calculates the outer diameter of the tubular strand for each first width set by it and determines whether the calculated outer diameter is within a, in particular predeterminable, Tolerance range.

A further measuring device is preferably provided, this further measuring device being arranged in front of the actuator in the conveying direction and being set up to determine the width of the base material strip.

The control or regulating device is preferably set up in such a way that it controls or regulates the first width, depending on the width of the base material strip, in such a way that the outer diameter of the tubular strand is varied within the, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range so that the distance between the second width-defining edges is minimized after shaping into a tubular strand, in particular place the second width-defining edges butt.

In this way, strands in particular are produced during operation of the device in which the edges defining the width of the first and second material strips are butted and the outer diameter of the strands only changes within the, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range, even if the width changes of the base material strip, for example due to a width variance of the base material strip.

The open-loop or closed-loop control device is preferably also set up in such a way that it outputs a warning message when calculating an outside diameter that is outside the, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range and / or a distance between the edges defining the second width, which is outside of a further, in particular predeterminable, tolerance range, in particular the device stops.

The control or regulating device is preferably set up in such a way that it adjusts the height of an upper format of the as a function of the calculated outer diameter of the tubular strand Performs format setup. This allows the outer diameter to be changed in a simple manner.

At least one edge sensor is also preferably provided for measuring the position of the material strips in the direction transverse to the conveying direction and at least one transverse adjustment device for shifting the position of the material strips in the direction transverse to the conveying direction, the at least one edge sensor and the at least one transverse adjustment device between the cutting device and the format device , are preferably arranged between a cross conveyor and a pair of pulling rollers.

A suitable cross adjustment device is in EP 3 056 097 A1 shown.

With the at least one edge sensor and the at least one transverse adjustment device, the position of the material strips in the direction transverse to the conveying direction can be adjusted so that the position of the outer and inner joint area in the circumferential direction after the material strips have been formed into a tubular strand in relation to the position of the heated or cooled top format is controlled. If, for example, the position of the second strip of material changes in the direction transverse to the conveying direction, the position of the outer joint area also changes in the circumferential direction of the strand which is formed from the material strips in the format device. In particular, the position of the outer joint area can be controlled in such a way that the outer joint area in the format device is arranged centrally directly below the upper format. In this way, the hardening of the adhesive or glue with which the edges defining the second width are bonded is accelerated.

In order to control the position of both the outer and the inner joint area, it is preferred to use at least two pairs, each consisting of an edge sensor and a lateral adjustment device, which are arranged in the area of the device in which the first strip of material is conveyed separately from the second strip of material.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments according to the invention together with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments according to the invention can fulfill individual features or a combination of several features.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung durch einen doppellagigen Materialstreifen in einer Schnittebene quer zur Längsachse der Materialstreifen,

Fig. 2

einen entsprechend hergestellten erfindungsgemä-ßen doppellagigen Strang in einer schematischen Schnittdarstellung,

Fig. 3

eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung zur Herstellung eines Hohlfilterstrangs in schematischer Darstellung,

Fig. 4

einen schematischen Bahnverlauf zum Schneiden eines Basismaterialstreifens in zwei Materialstreifen.

The invention is described below without restricting the general inventive concept on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, with express reference being made to the drawings with regard to all inventive details not explained in more detail in the text. Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic sectional view through a double-layer material strip in a sectional plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the material strips,

Fig. 2

a correspondingly produced double-layer strand according to the invention in a schematic sectional view,

Fig. 3

a device according to the invention for producing a hollow filter rod in a schematic representation,

Fig. 4

a schematic path for cutting a strip of base material into two strips of material.

In the drawings, the same or similar elements and / or parts are provided with the same reference numerals, so that they are not introduced again in each case.

Fig. 1 shows in a schematic sectional illustration transversely to the longitudinal axis of two material strips 25 and 26 the state of the first material strip 25 and the second material strip 26 after they have been joined. It can be seen here that the first material strip 25 has a position adhesive 17, for example a glue, on its upper side. The second strip of material 26 is placed on the position adhesive 17.

The first material strip 25 has edges 13 and 14 on the left and right and the second material strip 26 has edges 15 and 16 on the left and right.

In addition, a seam gluing 18 has been carried out on the first material strip 25, which serves to provide an adhesive bond with the part of the second material strip 26 protruding over the first material strip 25 on the right. Seam gluing strips can also be provided, for example a seam gluing strip 18 on one side of the first material strip 25 and a further seam gluing strip on the opposite side of the material strip 26. The gluing 17 can be carried out at the same time as the gluing 18 or, as already indicated above afterwards, before the tube or the tubular strand is formed, in a format device.

After passing through the format device, a double-layer tubular strand 31 results in this constellation, which in cross section in Fig. 2 is shown schematically. Here then the first strip of material 25 lies in the interior, the edges 13 and 14 being arranged in abutment or at a small distance from one another.

This inner joint area 21 is not radially aligned with the outer joint area 20 of the second wrapping material strip 26. There the edges 15 and 16 are also abutted or provided with a small distance from one another. The gaps in the joint areas 20 and 21 can also be provided with an adhesive. In the case of the Fig. 2 however is not Adhesive provided. In contrast to the prior art, there is a better roundness, since an overlap of the edge 16, for example with the second wrapping material strip 26, is not provided, but an alignment or an essentially circular outer contour.

By offsetting the joint areas 20 and 21 in the circumferential direction, a very secure closure of the tubular strand 31 produced or after the double-layered tube has been cut to length is made possible. In addition, an increased stability of the tubular strands 31 or the double-layered tubes is achieved as a result, since the weak points of the individual layers are spaced from one another.

The thicknesses of the first strip of material 25 and of the second strip of material 26 are essentially the same.

Fig. 3 shows schematically a device according to the invention for the production of at least double-layered tubular strands 31 or double-layered tubes of the tobacco processing industry. In this exemplary embodiment, several variants of the device according to the invention are shown simultaneously.

A correspondingly wide strip of base material 24 is drawn off in the conveying direction 34 from a reel (not shown) and is guided over rollers 41. A cutting device 23 connects to a material strip feed device 22. In the cutting device 23, the base material strip 24 is cut in the longitudinal direction. The cutting device 23 is a longitudinal cutter.

The cut strips of material in the form of a first strip of material 25 and a second strip of material 26 are conveyed in parallel over a further deflection roller 41, in order then to be separated from one another by means of a transverse conveyor 32 in the form of a deflection roller. The second strip of material 26 is after a further deflection by means of a gluing device 27 essentially completely glued, at least over the entire length. This gluing device 27 can, for example, omit the area of a seam, but does not necessarily have to.

The first strip of material 25 is conveyed separately from the second strip of material 26 and offset in the transverse direction to the conveying direction by means of the offset device 29, so that in the pair of pulling rollers 28, by means of which the first strip of material 25 is combined with the second strip of material 26, the strips of material lie offset one on top of the other 25 and 26 is achieved. The material strips are present at this point, for example, as in Fig. 1 shown schematically.

A heating device 35 is then provided, by means of which the applied glue or the applied adhesive 17 is pre-cured. In another embodiment, however, a cooling device (not shown here) can also be used if the setting of the glue or the adhesive 17 requires a temperature reduction. A variant without a heating device or cooling device is also possible. In the event that a seam has already been glued, the material strips 25 and 26 placed one on top of the other are fed to a format device 30. If the seam gluing has not yet taken place, this takes place by means of the seam gluing device 36, which is arranged between the heating device 35 and the format device 30.

In the format device, the infeed finger 44 presses the material strips down onto the format tape 43, which is guided endlessly through the format device 30 via corresponding deflection rollers 41.

In the format device, the material strips are reshaped in a known manner into a round shape or an oval shape. The upper format is designed as a heated upper format 37 in order to further bind the glue or the adhesive 17. In another embodiment, however, a cooled upper format can also be used if for the setting of the glue or the adhesive 17 a temperature reduction is required.

Subsequently, correspondingly double-layered tubes can be cut to the desired length from the strand 31 formed in this way by means of the cutting device 38.

Alternatively, it can be provided at this point that no tubes are cut to length, but the tubular strand 31 is introduced into a strand machine 40.

For this purpose, it can be provided on the one hand to simply introduce the produced tubular strand into the strand machine 40 and there with an in Fig. 3 heating, not shown, to allow the adhesive to harden further. In this case, a very fast production of corresponding tubes 10, which are then cut to length from the then finally hardened strand in the strand machine 40, is possible.

Alternatively, for example, a filter tow 46 from a filter tow processing device, which is shown in FIG Fig. 3 is not shown, but in Fig. 3 would be arranged to the right of the device shown, are guided above the format 30 over the device according to the invention and are fed in the conveying direction 47 of the strand machine 40 by a pair of pulling rollers 42. The filter tow 46 can then be arranged around the tubular strand 31, for example.

In order for the filter tow to hold on to the tubular strand 31, an adhesive, for example also PVA, is applied to the tubular strand 31 by means of an anchor suture device 45. In the strand machine 40, a wrapping material strip can accordingly be wound around the strand made up of an inner tubular strand and an external filter tow in a format device, and a corresponding filter can thus be produced.

A filter suitable for this purpose has an inner tube, around which a filter tow is arranged on the outside, around which a wrapping material is arranged.

The gluing device 27 and the seam gluing device 36 can be used as flat nozzles, spinning spray nozzles or in accordance with FIG EP 2 974 798 A1 be trained. A flat application of adhesive or glue is preferably carried out here.

The heating device 35 can optionally be provided. This essentially serves to pre-harden or pre-harden the adhesive.

Corresponding sensors that detect the position of the edges of the material strips can be provided for the precise alignment of the paper webs relative to one another, in particular in order to set the correct offset in terms of width. Corresponding regulating mechanisms can then be provided in order to regulate the position of the material strips with respect to one another.

For easier round shapes, especially of thick paper or cardboard, the strip of material can be pre-bent immediately before the format device or immediately after the slitter.

The tubular strand or the double-layered tube can have an internal diameter of, for example, 3 mm to 8 mm.

Fig. 3 also shows an edge sensor 59 and a transverse adjustment device 60, which are arranged between the pair of pulling rollers 28 and the heating device 35. However, this is only one possible arrangement of the edge sensor 59 and the transverse adjustment device 60. According to the invention, both the edge sensor 59 and the transverse adjustment device 60 can be arranged in any position between the cutting device 23 and the format device 30. The invention is also not based on the use of only one edge sensor 59 and only one Cross adjustment device 60 limited.

In this embodiment, the edge sensor 59 measures the position of the bonded material strips 25, 26 transversely to the conveying direction 34 and transmits this measurement data to the transverse adjustment device 60. The transverse adjustment device 60 compares the measurement data with a predetermined value for the transverse position of the bonded material strips 25, 26 The value is such that after the material strips 25, 26 have been formed into a tubular strand 31, the peripheral position of the outer joint area 20 has a fixed position on the upper format, for example the heated upper format 37, in particular the peripheral position of the outer joint region 20 is a 12 o'clock position on an upper format arranged centrally above the strand. The transverse adjustment device now regulates the position of the bonded material strips 25, 26 transversely to the conveying direction 34 so that this corresponds to the specified value.

In order to also determine the position of the inner joint area 21 in the circumferential direction of the strand 31 in relation to the upper format, two edge sensors 59 and two transverse adjustment devices 60 can be used, with a pair of edge sensors 59 and transverse adjustment device 60 between the transverse conveyor 32 and the pair of draw rollers 28 in the path of the first material strip 25 and a further pair of edge sensor 59 and transverse adjustment device 60 are arranged between transverse conveyor 32 and pair of draw rollers 28 in the path of the second material strip 26. In this way, the position of the individual material strips 25, 26 transverse to the conveying direction 34 and thus also the position of the joint areas 20, 21 in the circumferential direction of the strand 31 can be individually adapted.

Fig. 4 shows schematically the course of the path for cutting a base material strip into two material strips. The base material strip 24 is conveyed in the conveying direction 34 by the material strip feed device 22 (not shown). By means of the at least one knife 57, which is arranged in the cutting device 23, the base material strip 24 is cut into a first material strip 25 and a second material strip 26. The first strip of material 25 and the second strip of material 26 are separated from one another by means of a transverse conveyor 32.

The measuring device 53, which is arranged downstream of the transverse conveyor 32 in the conveying direction, measures the width of a material strip, in particular of the first material strip 25, and transmits the measurement data to the control or regulating device 55.

The control or regulating device 55 now compares the measured width of the material strip with a predeterminable width for this material strip, the predeterminable width in particular corresponding to a width which is suitable for the production of high quality strands. If the measured width deviates from the specified width, the control or regulating device 55 controls the actuator 52 such that the actuator 52 performs a relative transverse adjustment, that is, an adjustment in the transverse direction 56, of the base material strip 24.

The relative transverse adjustment of the base material strip 24 changes the orientation of the base material strip 24 with respect to the at least one knife 57 in the transverse direction 56, which results in a changed first width and second width after the cutting process.

The control or regulating device 55 calculates which relative transverse adjustment is necessary in order to bring the width measured with measuring elements 53 into agreement with the predetermined width and controls the actuator accordingly.

In the in Fig. 4 In the embodiment shown, a further measuring device 54 is additionally arranged in the conveying direction 34 in front of the actuator 52. This further measuring device 54 measures the width of the base material strip 24 and transmits this to the control or regulating device 55. The control or regulating device 55 determines Now, taking into account the width of the base material strip 24, an outer diameter 51 of the tubular strand 31 (cf. Fig. 2 ), in which both the edges 13, 14 defining the first width and the edges 15, 16 defining the second width are in abutment and controls the actuator 52 in such a way that the first width and the second width are regulated to one value , which is necessary for the production of such a shaped strand.

If the control or regulating device 55 calculates an outer diameter 51 of the tubular strand 31 that is outside the tolerance range and / or an outer joint area 20 that is outside of a further tolerance range, the control or regulating device 55 outputs a warning. In the in Fig. 4 This is achieved in that the control or regulating device activates a warning lamp 58. However, the invention is not restricted to the use of a warning light 58. The warning can also be output in other ways, for example via a user interface of a control computer.

In a further embodiment, the control or regulation device 55 is also set up in such a way that, in addition to outputting the warning notice, it stops the device for the production of at least double-layered tubular strands of the tobacco processing industry. For this purpose, the control or regulating device is set up in such a way that it is connected at least to the material strip feed device 22 and that it stops when a warning notice or a malfunction occurs. In this way it is ensured that only tubular strands are produced which have a specifiable quality.

In the context of the invention, features that are identified with “in particular” or “preferably” are to be understood as optional features.

List of reference symbols

13th

Edge

14th

Edge

15th

Edge

16

Edge

17th

Position adhesive

18th

Seam adhesive

20th

outer joint area

21

inner joint area

22nd

Strip feeder

23

Cutting device

24

Base material stiffeners

25th

first strip of material

26th

second strip of material

27, 27 '

Gluing device

28

Pull roller pair

29

Offsetting device

30th

Format device

31

strand

32

Cross conveyor

34

Conveying direction

35

Heater

36

Seam gluing device

37

heated upper format

38

Cutting device

40

Strand machine

41

Pulley

42

Pull roller pair

43

Format tape

44

Inlet finger

45

Anchor suture applicator

46

Filter tow strips

47

Conveying direction

51

outer diameter

52

Actuator

53

Measuring device

54

Measuring device

55

Control or regulation device

56

Transverse direction

57

knife

58

Warning light

59

Edge sensor

60

Cross adjustment device

Claims (15)

1. A method for manufacturing at least double-layered tubular rods (31) in the tobacco processing industry, comprising the following method steps of:

   - conveying a base material web (24) in a longitudinal axial conveying direction (34),

   - cutting the base material web (24) in a longitudinal axial manner into a first material web (25) having a first width and a second material web (26) having a second width, wherein the width of the first and/or of the second material web is measured and the cutting is controlled such that the width of the measured material web is set to a predefined value,

   - gluing at least the second material web (26), wherein the gluing is in particular applied all-over or approximately all-over,

   - bringing the first and the second material web (25, 26) together in an offset manner such that the first and the second material web (25, 26) are placed one above the other and are bonded to one another, and

   - shaping the material webs (25, 26) bonded to one another into a tubular rod (31).
2. The method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the material web, the width of which is set to a predefined value, is the first material web (25), wherein the first material web (25) forms the inner layer in the radial direction and the second material web (26) forms the outer layer of the tubular rod (31) in the radial direction.
3. The method according to Claim 2, characterized in that, during the shaping of the material webs (25, 26) bonded to one another into a tubular rod (31), the first material web (25) is shaped such that the edges (13, 14) defining the first width lie edge to edge.
4. The method according to Claim 3, characterized in that the outside diameter (51) of the tubular rod (31) is calculated by means of the predefined first width, wherein it is established whether the calculated outside diameter (51) lies within a, in particular predefinable, tolerance range, wherein the first width, as a function of the width of the base material web (24), which is determined by means of a measurement, is in particular predefined such that the outside diameter (51) of the tubular rod (31) is varied within the, in particular predefinable, tolerance range such that, following the shaping into a tubular rod (31), the distance of the edges (15, 16) defining the second width is minimized, in particular is minimized such that the edges (15, 16) defining the second width lie edge to edge.
5. The method according to Claim 4, characterized in that during the calculation of an outside diameter (51) lying outside of the, in particular predefinable, tolerance range and/or of a distance of the edges (15, 16) defining the second width lying outside of a further, in particular predefinable, tolerance range, a warning message is output, in particular the method is stopped.
6. The method according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a height adjustment of a sealer section of a formatting device (30) is performed as a function of the outside diameter (51) of the tubular rod (31).
7. The method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the location of the material webs (25, 26) is regulated in a direction running transversely to the conveying direction (34) such that, following the shaping into a tubular rod, (31), the outer joint region (20), preferably the outer joint region (20) and the inner joint region (21), is/are aligned in the circumferential direction of the rod (31) with respect to a sealer section of a formatting device (30), preferably the outer joint region (20) is aligned centrally under the sealer section.
8. The method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, when the first and the second material web (25, 26) are brought together in an offset manner, an overlap region of the first and of the second material web (25, 26) is produced, wherein the width of the overlap region is kept at a constant value.
9. A device for manufacturing at least double-layered tubular rods (31) in the tobacco processing industry, comprising:

   - a material web feeding device (22),

   - a cutting device (23), comprising at least one knife (57), in particular at least one rotating circular knife, for cutting a base material web (24) in a longitudinal axial manner into a first material web (25) having a first width and a second material web (26) having a second width,

   - an actuator (52) for aligning the relative cross adjustment, that is to say the alignment in the transverse direction (56), of the base material web (24) with respect to the position of the at least one knife (57), whereby the cutting position and, as a result, the first and second width are fixed,

   - a measuring device (53) for measuring the width of the first material web and/or of the second material web,

   - a control or regulating device (55), to which the data of the measuring device (53) are or can be fed, and which is designed such that it controls the actuator (52) such that the width of the gauged material web is controlled to a predefined or predefinable value,

   - a gluing device (27), by means of which the first material web (25) or the second material web (26) can be glued,

   - a merging device (28, 29), by means of which the material webs (25, 26) are brought together for bonding with one another such that the material webs (25, 26) lie above one another in an offset manner, and

   - a formatting device (30), in which a tubular rod (31) is formed or can be manufactured from the material webs (25, 26) brought together.
10. The device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the control or regulating device (55) is designed such that it controls the first width, wherein the first material web (25) forms the inner layer in the radial direction and the second material web (26) forms the outer layer of the multi-layered tubular rod (31) in the radial direction.
11. The device according to Claim 10, characterized in that the formatting device (30) is designed such that it forms a tubular rod (31) from the material webs (25, 26) brought together such that the edges (13, 14) defining the first width lie edge to edge, wherein the control or regulating device (55) is in particular designed such that it calculates the outside diameter (51) of the tubular rod (31) for each first width adjusted by it and establishes whether the calculated outside diameter (51) lies within a, in particular predefinable, tolerance range.
12. The device according to Claim 11, characterized in that it has a further measuring device (54), wherein said further measuring device (54) is designed to determine the width of the base material web (24), wherein the further measuring device (54) is in particular arranged in the conveying direction (34) upstream of the actuator (52), wherein the control or regulating device (55) is in particular designed such that it regulates the first width as a function of the width of the base material web (24) such that the outside diameter (51) of the tubular rod (31) is varied within the, in particular predefinable, tolerance range such that, following the shaping into a tubular rod (31), the distance of the edges (15, 16) defining the second width is minimized, in particular is minimized such that the edges (15, 16) defining the second width lie edge to edge.
13. The device according to Claim 12, characterized in that the control or regulating device (55) is designed such that, during the calculation of an outside diameter (51) lying outside of the, in particular predefinable, tolerance range and/or of a distance of the edges (15, 16) defining the second width lying outside a further, in particular predefinable, tolerance range, it outputs a warning message, in particular stops the device.
14. The device according to Claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the control or regulating device (55) is designed such that it performs a height adjustment of a sealer section of the formatting device (30) as a function of the calculated outside diameter (51) of the tubular rod (31).
15. The device according to any one of Claims 9 to 14, characterized in that it has at least one edge sensor (59) for measuring the position of the material webs (25, 26) in a direction running transversely to the conveying direction (34) and at least one cross adjustment device (60) for displacing the position of the material webs (25, 26) in a direction running transversely to the conveying direction (34), wherein the at least one edge sensor (59) and the at least one cross adjustment device (60) are arranged between the cutting device (23) and the formatting device (30).

Images