EP3429379B1

EP3429379B1 - Device for making smokers' articles

Info

Publication number: EP3429379B1
Application number: EP17716634.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Esposti; Massimo Sartoni; Ivan Eusepi
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 2016-03-15
Filing date: 2017-03-13
Publication date: 2020-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 2037-03-13
Also published as: EP3429379A1; WO2017158492A1; PL3429379T3

Description

Technical field

This invention relates to a device for making smokers' articles such as cigarettes, filters or multi-component cigarettes in general.
More specifically, this description refers to a device forming part of a machine designed, in its entirety, to make cigarettes, without thereby limiting the scope of the invention.

Background art

It is known that after a cigarette rod has been divided into single-length pieces, these cigarette pieces are fed transversely to their axes and spaced axially from each other in order to receive between them a piece of filter which is twice the length that the filter will have in the finished cigarette. The "cigarette - double-length filter - cigarette" group is then wrapped in a sheet of wrapping material, normally paper, by a rolling process which stably joins the three components to each other. The group thus wrapped is then cut exactly in half to make two single-length cigarettes placed end to end with their filter tips. Generally speaking, the sheet of paper material is obtained in process by cutting it off from a continuous web unwound from a roll.
DE-B-1096270 discloses an example of device for feeding and cutting said continuous web into pieces of paper material (called "patches").
In prior art methods, rolling involves applying "the patches".
The Applicant has found that the rolling device of the type described above is not well suited to rolling with patches of composite thickness, in particular with patches consisting of a piece having a first, long layer and a second, shorter layer, where layer length is considered in the circumferential direction of wrapping round the "cigarette - double-length filter - cigarette" group. In patches of this kind, the front edges of the layers must be perfectly aligned with each other in the direction of feed of the pieces.
Under these circumstances, the first part of the patch to engage the "cigarette - double-length filter - cigarette" group must be the part having extra thickness. For production reasons, however, it is very difficult to guarantee with adequate repeatability that the front edges of the two patches will be exactly aligned. On the contrary, misalignment between the two edges is very frequent on account of inevitable positioning errors at the moment of overlapping.
A similar problem also arises in the case of patches having only one layer but with different colours, where the front edge has a front zone differing in colour from the rest of the patch and the front edge must be cut in such a way that the rear edge of the same patch does not show signs of the same colour as the front edge. Besides the difference in colour between a front zone of the patch and the rest of the patch, similar problems arise in cases of different shapes, materials, material treatments or surface finishes used to make the front or rear zone of the patch.
These problems result in the patch not being correctly wrapped and leading to the production of cigarettes of unacceptable quality.

Disclosure of the invention

In this context, the basic technical purpose of this invention is to provide a device for making cigarettes to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
More specifically, this invention has for an aim to provide a device for making cigarettes capable of guaranteeing acceptable cigarette quality where the cigarettes are made by rolling a patch having composite thickness.
The technical purpose and aims specified are substantially achieved by a cigarette making device comprising the technical features described in one or more of the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment of it and in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a device for making cigarettes according to this invention;
Figure 1A shows an enlargement of the device of Figure 1;
Figures 2-4 show the operating logic of the device of Figure 1 according to different embodiments, all falling within the inventive concept of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a cigarette making device according to this invention.
The device 1 comprises a feeding unit 2 for feeding a continuous web 100 of wrapping material, in particular a paper web, which may be unwound from a roll, not illustrated.
The continuous web 100 is of the type having, along its main direction if extension, a succession of discrete areas 110 having extra thickness. The discrete areas 110 are spaced from each other along the main direction if extension of the continuous web 100 in such a way as to produce, along the continuous web 100, a succession of areas with normal thickness (that is to say, where the thickness is determined by the paper web only) and discrete areas 110 with extra thickness. These discrete areas 110 might not be distinguished by different thickness, although the areas referred to hereinafter in this description are of this type. Instead, the areas 110 might be distinguished by different colours, shapes, materials or material treatments.
More specifically, the discrete areas 110 may be defined by areas of application of discrete elements in sheet form of specific shape (rectangular in the embodiment described and as shown in Figures 2-4).
For this purpose, the feeding unit 2 may comprise specific means (not illustrated) for applying the discrete elements on a surface of the continuous web 100. Alternatively, the continuous web 100 might be unwound from a web in a configuration where the discrete elements are already applied to it.
Downstream of the feeding unit 2, the device 1 also comprises a conveyor 3 configured to receive the continuous web 100 from the feeding unit 2 and defining a feed path "P".
The conveyor 3 preferably comprises a conveyor drum 4 rotatable about a respective axis of rotation "X" which defines the aforementioned feed path "P" which has the shape of an arc, in particular a circular arc.
The device 1 also comprises cutting means 5 located along the feed path "P" and acting in conjunction with the conveyor drum 4 to cut the continuous web 100 (whose front end is supported by the conveyor drum 4) both at zones 120 of the continuous web 100 with the aforementioned discrete areas 110 and at zones 130 of the continuous web 100 without the discrete areas, in such a way as to obtain a succession of wrapping patches 200, 200', each of which has only a part of one of the discrete areas 110.
In a first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the cutting means 5 comprise a cutting roller 6 provided with a succession of peripheral blades 7 spaced at suitable angular intervals to make a succession of cuts at a desired spacing.
The conveyor drum 4 and the cutting roller 6 are operatively set in rotation in continuous mode.
The operating logic of the cutting means is described below.
On its outer periphery, the conveyor drum 4 comprises at least one supporting member 8, 9 having a supporting and retaining surface 10 which supports and retains a respective patch 200, 200' obtained by cutting the continuous web 100 and which moves the patch 200, 200' along the aforementioned feed path "P".
The supporting and retaining surface 10 is preferably provided with suction holes, not illustrated.
More in detail, the conveyor drum 4 comprises a succession of supporting members 8, 9 which are angularly spaced, preferably equispaced, over its entire outer periphery (Figure 1).
The function of each supporting member 8, 9 is to first retain the front end of the continuous web 100 (immediately upstream of the zone of interaction between the conveyor drum 4 and the cutting roller 6) and then to retain a respective patch 200, 200' separated from the continuous web 100 by the cutting roller 6.
According to the invention, the device 1 also comprises at least one turning device, active on the feed path "P" and operating on at least one of the patches 200, 200' separated from the continuous web 100 to overturn the patch 200, 200' in such a way as to invert the positions of the front edge and rear edge of the patch 200, 200' with reference to the feed direction of the patch 200, 200' along the feed path "P".
Preferably, the device 1 comprises a plurality of turning devices which are angularly distributed on the periphery of the conveyor drum 4 and each adapted to turn a respective patch 200, 200' in the manner described above.
In effect, as shown in Figure 2, dividing the continuous web 100 by cutting it both at the zones 120 of the continuous web 100 with the discrete areas 110 and at zones 130 of the continuous web 100 without the discrete areas produces a succession of patches 200 oriented with an extra thick strip 210 at the front, relative to the feed direction, alternated with patches 200' oriented with the extra thick strip 210 at the back.
The device 1 also comprises a subsequent station comprising a transfer drum 11 - of known type and normally provided with pins for controlling the patches - located downstream of the conveyor drum 4 and of the turning device and configured to receive:

a succession of uniformly oriented patches 200 from the conveyor drum 4, and
a succession of "cigarette - double-length filter - cigarette" groups 300 from a feeding drum adjacent thereto, for feeding the groups 300,

patch

group

patch

group

The patches 200 are then protected and contained by a fixed tile 14 disposed to face the transfer drum 11.
Downstream of the transfer drum 11 there is a rolling drum (of known type and not illustrated) and a cutting station (not illustrated) is also provided to divide each group 300 into a respective pair of finished cigarettes placed to end with their filter tips.
The patches 200 in motion on the conveyor drum 4 are thus oriented correctly because the extra thick strip is located at the front so that the patches 200 can be wrapped around the respective groups 300 in such a way that the extra thick strip 210 engages the group 300 first, whilst the remaining part with normal thickness simply forms an outer closure wrapping.
The patches 200', on the other hand, are not correctly oriented and must be turned by 180° (turned round in the position plane) so as to invert the positions of the front edge and rear edge of the patches 200', as described above, by means of the turning device.
According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the aforementioned turning devices are defined by respective movable supporting members 9 which are, in particular, rotatably mounted on the periphery of the conveyor drum 4.
In other words, the aforementioned supporting members 8, 9 form, along the periphery of the conveyor drum 4, an alternating succession of fixed supporting members 8 alternated with movable supporting members 9. Preferably, therefore, the number of fixed supporting members 8 is equal to the number of movable supporting members 9 on the periphery of the conveyor drum 4.
More in detail, in order to turn a respective patch 200', each movable supporting member 9 is rotatable about an axis "Y" which is preferably disposed radially on the conveyor drum 4, that is to say, which is incident on the axis of rotation "X" of the conveyor drum 4.
Preferably, the axis "Y" of the movable supporting member 9 is perpendicular to the supporting and retaining surface 10.
Thus, looking at Figures 1 and 2, the fixed supporting members 8 are intended to support the patches 200 which are oriented correctly after being cut, while the movable supporting members 9 are intended to support and turn the patches 200' whose orientation after being cut is opposite to the correct orientation.
Advantageously, as shown in Figure 1A, each movable supporting member 9 is configured to adopt a rest position, where it is positioned in an intermediate space 13 between two adjacent, fixed supporting members 8, and a turning (operative) configuration, where it is positioned away from the intermediate space 13 at a position suitable for turning the respective patch 200' without interfering with the adjacent, fixed supporting members 8.
In the specific embodiment illustrated in Figure 1A. each movable supporting member 9 can be moved from the rest position to the turning position by translation away from the axis "X" of the conveyor drum 4, that is to say, the movable supporting member 9 is lifted away from the peripheral surface of the conveyor drum 4. In this situation, the patch 200' to be turned is at a level above the adjacent patches 200 and thus does not interfere with these as it turns.
In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, each movable supporting member 9 can be moved from the rest position to the turning position by translation in parallel with the axis "X" of the conveyor drum 4.
Alternatively to what is described above, all the supporting members 8, 9 might be of movable type so as to increase the operating flexibility of the device 1.
According to an operating method, the continuous web 100 is gripped by the supporting members 8, 9 of the conveyor drum 4 and, immediately after that, the cutting means 5 make a succession of cuts alternately at the zones 120 of the continuous web 100 with the discrete areas 110 and at the zones 130 of the continuous web 100 without the discrete areas 110, thus producing an alternating succession of correctly oriented patches 200 with the extra thick strip 210 at the front and oppositely oriented patches 200' with the extra thick strip 210 at the back.
Preferably, the cuts are made centrally of or half way along the zones 120 of the continuous web 100 with the discrete areas 110 and the zones 130 of the continuous web 100 without the discrete areas 110, respectively.
Next, the incorrectly oriented patches 200' (which are supported by the movable supporting members 9) are turned after being moved away from the intermediate space 13 so as not to interfere with the fixed supporting members 8 adjacent to them.
After turning, the movable supporting members 9 are returned to the initial position within the intermediate space 13 and the patches 200, which are now all oriented correctly, are fed to the transfer drum 11.
The transfer drum 11 couples the patch 200 to the respective "cigarette - filter" or "cigarette - double-length filter - cigarette" group 300. Next, the rolling drum applies a first wrapping with a front strip 210 of the patch 200, of extra thickness, and a second wrapping, on the outside of the first wrapping, with a rear strip 220 of the patch 200, of normal thickness. The first and second wrappings are necessary when the length of the patch 200 is approximately twice the circumference of the cigarette.
In an embodiment not illustrated, on the other hand, where the length of the patch 200 and the circumference of the cigarette are approximately equal, with allowance for only a slight overlap, a single wrapping is sufficient. The latter case applies, for example, when the patch 200 to be wrapped has two different colours, where each colour is intended for one angular portion of the cylindrical surface of the cigarette.
Figures 3 and 4 show variant embodiments of the device 1 according to the invention.
More specifically, as shown in these two figures, the cutting means comprise a first cutting device (not illustrated) configured to make a succession of first cuts "T1" at the zones 120 of the continuous web 100 with the discrete areas "110" and a second cutting device (not illustrated) configured to make a succession of second cuts "T2" at the zones 130 of the continuous web "100" without the discrete areas 110, where the first and second cutting devices are mutually spaced along the feed path "P".
More specifically, in the embodiment of Figure 3, the first cutting device, which makes the first cuts at the zones 120 of the continuous web 100 with the discrete areas 110, is upstream of the second cutting device, which makes the second cuts "T2" at the zones 130 of the continuous web "100" without the discrete areas 110, while in the embodiment of Figure 4, the positions of the cutting devices are inverted.
The present invention achieves the preset aims, overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art.
More specifically, cutting the continuous web at the extra thick zones (in particular, in the central or half-way portion thereof, or in any case, in an intermediate portion thereof) makes it possible to obtain patches having extra thickness at the front edge without misalignments between the different layers making it up.
More specifically, cutting the continuous web at the zones of different colour, material or material treatment (in particular, in the central or half-way portion thereof, or in any case, in an intermediate portion thereof) makes it possible to obtain patches having at the front edge of it a desired colour, material or material treatment, without misalignments between the different zones.
The method is fully automated, allows attaining high operating speeds and high levels of reliability, producing good quality cigarettes with an optimal rate of repeatability.

Claims

A device for rolling cigarettes, comprising:
- a feeding unit (2) for feeding a continuous web (100) of wrapping material having a succession of discrete areas (110);

- a conveyor (3) configured to receive the continuous web (100) from the feeding unit (2) and defining a feed path (P);

- cutting means (5), located along the feed path (P) and acting in conjunction with the conveyor (3) to cut the continuous web (100) both at zones (120) of the continuous web (100) with the discrete areas (110) and at zones (130) of the continuous web (100) without the discrete areas (110), in such a way as to obtain a succession of wrapping patches (200, 200'), each of which has only a part of one of the discrete areas (110);
the device being characterized in that is comprises - at least one turning device (9), active on the feed path (P) and operating on at least one of the patches (200') separated from the continuous web (100) to overturn the patch (200') in such a way as to invert the positions of the front edge and rear edge of the patch (200') with reference to the feed direction of the patch (200') along the feed path (P).
The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one turning device (9) comprises at least one movable supporting member (9) having a surface (10) for supporting and retaining a respective patch (200'), and wherein the supporting member (9) is rotatable in such a way as to turn the patch (200') by 180° about an axis (Y) perpendicular to the supporting and retaining surface (10).
The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor (3) comprises a conveyor drum (4) rotating about a respective axis of rotation (X) and wherein the at least one turning device (9) is defined by a plurality of movable supporting members (9) rotatably disposed around the outer periphery of the conveyor drum (4).
The device according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the axis (Y) of the movable supporting member (9) intersects the axis of rotation (X) of the conveyor drum (4).
The device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the conveyor drum (4) also comprises, on its outer periphery, a succession of fixed supporting members (8) alternated with the movable supporting members (9).
The device according to claim 5, wherein the fixed supporting members (8) and the movable supporting members (9) are arranged in equal number around the outer periphery of the conveyor drum (4) and in a mutually alternating configuration along the outer periphery.
The device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein each movable supporting member (9) is configured to adopt a rest position, where it is positioned in an intermediate space (13) between two adjacent, fixed supporting members (8), and a turning configuration, where it is positioned away from the intermediate space (13) at a position suitable for turning the respective patch (200') without interfering with the adjacent, fixed supporting members (8).
The device according to claim 7, wherein each movable supporting member (9) can be moved from the rest position to the turning position by translation away from the axis of rotation (X) of the conveyor drum (4).
The device according to claim 7, wherein each movable supporting member (9) can be moved from the rest position to the turning position by translation in parallel with the axis of rotation (X) of the conveyor drum (4).
The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutting means (5) comprise a single cutting device configured to make a succession of first cuts (T1) at the zones (120) of the continuous web (100) with the discrete areas (110) and a succession of second cuts (T2) at the zones (130) of the continuous web (100) without the discrete areas (110), the first and second cuts (T1, T2) being alternated with each other.
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cutting means comprise a first cutting device configured to make a succession of first cuts (T1) at the zones (120) of the continuous web (100) with the discrete areas (110) and a second cutting device configured to make a succession of second cuts (T2) at the zones (130) of the continuous web (100) without the discrete areas (110), the first and second cutting devices being mutually spaced along the feed path (P).
The device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a transfer drum (11) located downstream of the conveyor (3) and of the at least one turning device (9) and configured to receive a succession of uniformly oriented patches (200) and to successively apply each patch (200) by rolling it around a respective group (300) consisting of "cigarette - double filter - cigarette".
A method for rolling cigarettes, comprising the following steps:
- preparing a continuous web (100) of wrapping material having a succession of discrete areas (110);

- feeding the continuous web (100) to a conveyor (3) defining a feed path (P);

- making a succession of cuts (T1, T2) on the continuous web (100) both at zones (120) of the continuous web (100) with the discrete areas (110) and at zones (130) of the continuous web (100) without the discrete areas (110), in such a way as to obtain a succession of wrapping patches (200, 200'), each of which has only a part of one of the discrete areas (110);
the method being characterized in that it also comprises a step of - turning at least one of the patches (200') separated from the continuous web (100) to overturn the patch (200) in such a way as to invert the positions of the front edge and rear edge of the patch (200) with reference to the feed direction of the patch (200) along the feed path (P).
The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of making a succession of cuts (T1, T2) on the continuous web (100) is carried out transversely to the feed path (P) and at centre line sections of the discrete areas (110) and/or at zones (130) of the continuous web (100) located at equidistant positions between two consecutive discrete areas (110).
The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the step of turning at least one patch (200') comprises turning only one patch (200') of a pair of consecutive patches (200, 200') in such a way as to obtain an alternating succession of turned patches (200') and unturned patches (200).
The method according to claim 15, wherein after the step of turning at least one patch (200'), the succession of patches (200) comprises patches (200) of identical shape and oriented uniformly with reference to the feed path (P).
The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16" wherein the feed path (P) extends around an axis (X) and preferably comprises a circular arc, and wherein the step of turning at least one patch (200') comprises turning the patch (200') about an axis of rotation (Y) intersecting the axis (X).
The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of turning the patch (200') comprises moving the patch (200') away from the feed path (P) in such a way as to place the patch (200') at a position where it can be turned without interfering with the adjacent patches (200).
The method according to claims 17 and 18, wherein the step of turning the patch (200') comprises moving the patch (200') away from the feed path (P) by translation away from the axis of rotation (X) around which the feed path (P) extends.
The method according to claims 17 and 18, wherein the step of turning the patch (200') comprises moving the patch (200') away from the feed path (P) by translation in parallel with the axis of rotation (X) around which the feed path (P) extends.
The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the step of cutting the continuous web is comprises a succession of first cuts (T1) on the continuous web (100) at zones (120) of the continuous web (100) with the discrete areas (110) and a succession of second cuts (T2) on the continuous web (100) at zones (130) of the continuous web (100) without the discrete areas (110), the first and second cuts (T1, T2) being made alternately by a single cutting device (5).
The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the step of cutting the continuous web comprises a succession of first cuts (T1) on the continuous web (100) at zones (120) of the continuous web (100) with the discrete areas (110) and a succession of second cuts (T2) on the continuous web (100) at zones (130) of the continuous web (100) without the discrete areas (110), the first and second cuts (T1, T2) being made by two different cutting devices located at mutually spaced positions along the feed path (P).
The method according to any one of claims 13 to 22, further comprising a final step of wrapping each patch (200) around a respective group (300) consisting of a "cigarette - filter" or "cigarette - double filter - cigarette".
The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of wrapping each patch (200) around a respective group (300) consisting of a "cigarette - filter" or "cigarette - double filter - cigarette" comprises wrapping a first time with a front strip (210) of the patch (200), of extra thickness, and a second time on the outside of the first wrapping with a rear strip (220) of the patch (200), of normal thickness.
The method according to any one of claims 13 to 24, wherein the discrete areas (110) of extra thickness are defined by applying discrete elements to a surface of the continuous web (100).