EP3482642B1 - Turning of rod-shaped articles from the tobacco processing industry - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for turning rod-shaped articles in the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes. Furthermore, the invention relates to an arrangement for turning rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a machine in the tobacco processing industry, in particular a filter attachment machine. The invention also relates to a method for conveying rod-shaped articles in the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes.

It is known in the prior art that a device is provided in devices for turning rod-shaped articles, in particular cigarettes, by means of which the rod-shaped articles are turned. Such devices are used, for example, in cigarette manufacturing machines or filter attachment machines. With a filter attachment machine Filter cigarettes are produced as rod-shaped articles, the articles being produced with a double length of use and then being cut into two single-length products (filter cigarettes) or articles by means of a cutting device. The rod-shaped products or filter cigarettes are then processed further with uniformly aligned filters in the filter attaching machines, the filter cigarettes being conveyed in two rows being turned by means of a turning device, so that the filter cigarettes in a row are turned through 180 ° about a transverse axis running perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Here, the flipped filter cigarettes are arranged on a conveyor drum between two non-flipped filter cigarettes, each in a free receiving trough of the conveyor drum, so that a series of filter cigarettes is formed after the turning process.

So-called cone turrets are used to turn the filter cigarettes, whereby for the turning process the two rows of opposing filter cigarettes have to be spread axially on a spreader drum before turning, a row of the filter cigarettes or rod-shaped products then being transferred to the cone-turning drums on which the rod-shaped drums are transferred Products describe a conical path in order to then be arranged on the conveyor drum between the non-inverted filter cigarettes on the conveyor drums on which the non-turned rod-shaped products are conveyed.

For example, in DE 34 45 945 A1 , EP 0 627 175 B1 and DE 199 20 760 A1 Devices for turning rod-shaped articles are disclosed.

The object of the invention is to make it possible to turn rod-shaped products on a conveyor drum in an arrangement for the transverse-axial conveying of rod-shaped articles, in particular before spreading or spreading or longitudinally axial spacing of articles from two rows to be avoided.

This object is achieved by a device for turning rod-shaped articles in the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes, with a turning drum having a truncated cone and a truncated cone jacket, the turning drum being rotatable or driven in rotation about an axis of rotation, the truncated cone jacket the turning drum has receiving troughs for the rod-shaped articles in the circumferential direction of the truncated cone shell, which is further developed in that a.) the receiving troughs are formed and arranged on the truncated cone jacket in such a way that the trough center longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs of the turning drum and the axis of rotation of the turning drum do not intersect, and / or b.) When arranging rod-shaped articles in the receiving troughs of the turning drum, the central longitudinal axes of the rod-shaped articles and the axis of rotation of the turning drum do not intersect.

The invention is based on the idea that the trough central longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs are arranged and aligned on the truncated cone shell in such a way that the trough central longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs do not intersect with one another. In addition, the trough center longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs are arranged on the truncated cone in such a way that they do not intersect with the axis of rotation of the turning drum. As a result, the receiving troughs on the truncated cone are arranged obliquely between the larger base area and the smaller top surface, so that the trough center longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs to the surface line, which forms the tangent to the truncated cone jacket and intersects with the axis of rotation, by an angle> 0 °, preferably between 10 ° to 35 ° is arranged. In contrast, in the case of the previous cone turning drums according to the prior art, the respective surface line is aligned collinearly or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trough center of the receiving trough.

By using the turning drum according to the invention, it is possible for a turning operation to be carried out in the filter attachment machine In this case, a spreading or the longitudinal-axial spacing of rod-shaped articles in two rows before the turning process can be omitted, since using two turning drums according to the invention, the rod-shaped articles of a row are removed from a conveyor drum by means of the first turning drum and then to a second Turning drum are transferred, so that the rod-shaped articles are then turned back from the second turning drum to the conveying drum and the turned rod-shaped articles, which are conveyed by the first reversing drum and the second reversing drum, are arranged alternately between the turned articles on the conveying drum are, whereby a series of rod-shaped articles is formed on the conveyor drum, which are then transferred in a row to a subsequent conveyor drum. Due to the turning process using the two turning drums according to the invention, the turned bar-shaped articles are arranged on the conveyor drum with the same orientation, so that the turned bar-shaped articles are turned through 180 °.

Furthermore, the device is characterized in that the turning drum has an angle between the axis of rotation of the turning drum and the surface line of the truncated cone shell of 45 ° to 70 °, in particular 45 ° to 60 °.

For this purpose, it is further advantageously provided in the device in one embodiment that the receiving troughs are each formed by means of a groove on the truncated cone surface, the grooves each having a first widening facing the base surface of the truncated cone in relation to the direction of rotation of the turning drum, the first widening leads the respective groove, and the grooves each have a second widening facing away from the base of the truncated cone, the second widening lagging the respective groove in relation to the direction of rotation of the respective groove.

In particular, it is preferred that a drive for rotating the turning drum is provided for the turning drum.

Furthermore, the object is achieved by an arrangement for turning rod-shaped articles in the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes, which is designed with a first device, as described above, and also with a second device, as described above . As a result, the arrangement for turning rod-shaped articles has two truncated cone-like turning drums, in which the trough center longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs of the respective turning drum and the axes of rotation of the respective corresponding turning drum do not intersect and / or when arranging rod-shaped articles in the receiving troughs of the respective turning drum, the center longitudinal axes do not cut the rod-shaped article and the axes of rotation of the respective turning drum. In addition, the receiving troughs on the truncated cone of the respective turning drum are aligned so that the central longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs do not intersect.

For this purpose, a further development of the arrangement provides that the axis of rotation of the turning drum of the first device and the axis of rotation of the turning drum of the second device are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that they do not intersect.

Advantageously, a conveyor drum for the transverse axial conveyance of rod-shaped articles, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes, is provided in the arrangement, the conveying drum being arranged on the first device and on the second device, the conveying drum being arranged in the circumferential direction, preferably on a cylindrical drum body, receiving troughs arranged transversely axially one behind the other, a series of rod-shaped articles arranged transversely axially one behind the other or two rows of rod-shaped articles arranged longitudinally axially next to one another and transversely axially one behind the other when the conveyor drum rotates about the axis of rotation of the conveyor drum promote.

Furthermore, it is preferred in the arrangement that the axis of rotation of the conveyor drum does not intersect with one of the axes of rotation of the turning drum of the first device or the turning drum of the second device or does not intersect with both axes of rotation of the turning drum of the first device and the turning drum of the second device.

By means of the arrangement according to the invention it is possible, when conveying two rows of rod-shaped articles arranged axially alongside one another and transversely axially one behind the other on the conveyor drum, the articles of the two rows not being spaced apart, by means of the turning drum of the first device, the rod-shaped articles of a row from the To remove the conveyor drum and then transfer it to the turning drum of the second device, the rod-shaped articles removed from the turning drum of the second device being turned by 180 ° when they are delivered to the conveyor drum and between the rod-shaped articles of the rod-shaped articles of the second remaining on the conveyor drum Row are arranged alternately. This makes it possible for a drum arrangement for conveying rod-shaped articles, for example a filter attachment machine, to dispense with a spreading process or a spreading drum before the rod-shaped articles are transferred to the conveying drum of the arrangement according to the invention and thus before the turning process.

Furthermore, the object is achieved by a machine of the tobacco processing industry, in particular a filter attachment machine, with a device as described above or with an arrangement as described above for conveying rod-shaped articles. To avoid repetition, reference is expressly made to the above statements.

The object is further achieved by a method for conveying Rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and / or cigarettes, wherein one or two rows of rod-shaped articles arranged transversely one behind the other are conveyed transversely axially in receiving troughs of a, in particular cylindrical, conveyor drum, the rod-shaped articles of one row or one of the two rows are transferred from the rotating conveyor drum to a device for turning rod-shaped articles described above and are conveyed in the receiving troughs of the rotating turning drum of the first device, the longitudinal center axes of the rod-shaped articles not intersecting with the axis of rotation of the turning drum of the first device, after which the rod-shaped articles are transferred from the turning drum of the first device to a second device, as described above, and are conveyed into the receiving troughs of the rotating turning drum of the second device, wob ei the longitudinal center axes of the rod-shaped articles do not intersect with the axis of rotation of the turning drum of the second device, and subsequently the rod-shaped articles from the turning drum of the second device into the receiving troughs of the conveyor drum, from which the rod-shaped articles pass to the turning drum of the first device have been handed over.

Furthermore, according to a further aspect of the method, it is provided that when two rows of rod-shaped articles arranged axially next to one another and transversely one behind the other are conveyed on the conveying drum, the articles of one row are turned in one turning process by means of the turning drum of the first device and by means of the turning drum of the second device , wherein the turned bar-shaped articles are inserted after the turning operation between bar-shaped articles of the second row which have remained on the conveyor drum and have not been turned, so that the turned bar-shaped articles and the non-turned bar-shaped articles have the same orientation on the conveyor drum and are arranged in a row one behind the other on the conveyor drum. After formation of a Row of uniformly oriented rod-shaped articles on the conveyor drum, it is possible for the rod-shaped articles of the one row formed to be transferred from the conveyor drum to a subsequent conveyor drum on which, for example, a testing device for the rod-shaped articles is arranged.

In a further development of the method, it is provided that when two rows of rod-shaped articles are conveyed next to one another on the conveyor drum, the rod-shaped articles of the rows are not spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal axial direction, in particular without spreading, in the receiving troughs of the conveyor drum before being transferred to the turning drum are arranged or will be the first device.

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

schematisch eine Ansicht einer Trommelanordnung einer Filteransetzmaschine;

Fig. 2

schematisch ein Ablaufdiagramm gemäß der in Fig. 1 dargestellten Trommelanordnung;

Fig. 3

schematisch im Ausschnitt eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Wendetrommel und

Fig. 4a, 4b

schematisch verschiedene Ansichten einer Fördertrommel mit einer Wendeeinrichtung.

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

Fig. 1

schematically shows a view of a drum arrangement of a filter attachment machine;

Fig. 2

schematically a flow chart according to the in Fig. 1 drum arrangement shown;

Fig. 3

schematically in perspective a perspective view of a turning drum and

4a, 4b

schematically different views of a conveyor drum with a turning device.

In the drawings, the same or similar elements and / or parts are provided with the same reference numerals, so that a renewed presentation is not given.

In Fig. 1 a view of a drum arrangement T for conveying filter cigarettes on a filter attachment machine F is shown schematically. The corresponding flow chart is in Fig. 2 shown accordingly.

The drum arrangement T has a conveyor drum 10, on which filter cigarettes 101, 102 are conveyed in two rows in a row axially one behind the other. After the production of double-long tobacco rod filter plugs-tobacco rod groups and a central cut through the double-long filter plug, the filter cigarettes 101, 102 are transferred from an upstream cutting drum to the conveying drum 10, on the conveying path from the cutting drum to the conveying drum 10 the pairs formed from the filter cigarettes 101, 102 are not spread axially. In this case, no spreader drum or the like is provided between the manufacture of single-length filter cigarettes 101, 102 in the conveying direction in order to carry out a longitudinally axial spreading process between the filter cigarette pairs 101, 102 formed in each case before the turning process.

The two rows with the filter cigarettes 101, 102 are then transferred from the conveyor drum 10 to a subsequent conveyor drum 12, the row with the filter cigarettes 101 remaining on the conveyor drum 12 in the receiving troughs (cf. Fig. 2 ). The filter cigarettes 102 arranged next to the filter cigarettes 101, 102 during the transfer are transferred to a first turning drum 20, the filter cigarettes 102 then being transferred from the first turning drum 20 to a subsequent second turning drum 22. After that the inverted filter cigarettes 102 with the same orientation as the filter cigarettes 101 remaining on the conveyor drum 12 are arranged between the filter cigarettes 101, so that on the conveyor drum 12 after the filter cigarettes 102 have been turned over, a series of filter cigarettes 101, 102 arranged transversely axially one behind the other is formed, the Filter cigarettes are arranged alternately one behind the other in the corresponding receiving troughs of the conveyor drum 12. Subsequently, the filter cigarettes 101, 102 arranged in a row one after the other are transferred from the conveyor drum 12 to a subsequent conveyor drum 14. In an embodiment, this conveyor drum 14 can be designed with a test device for testing the filter cigarettes 101, 102.

In Fig. 3 a perspective view of the turning drum 20 is shown schematically in the detail. The turning drum 20 is frustoconical, the turning drum 20 having a truncated cone jacket 30 which is formed with receptacles 32, so that in the receptacles 32 the filter cigarettes 102, which are correspondingly received in the receptacles 32. The turning drum 20 has an axis of rotation 38, a corresponding drive being provided for the rotation of the turning drum 20.

The receiving troughs 32 are arranged on the outside of the turning drum 20 such that the trough center longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs and the axis of rotation 38 of the turning drum do not intersect. In addition, the receiving troughs 32 are arranged such that when the filter cigarettes 102 are arranged in the receiving troughs 32, the central longitudinal axes of the filter cigarettes 102 do not intersect. In Fig. 3 the corresponding central longitudinal axis 105 is shown for a filter cigarette 102.

In 4a, 4b are perspective views of the arrangement of the conveyor drum 12 with the reversing drums 20, 22 arranged therein. In Fig. 4a is schematically the removal or delivery of the filter cigarettes 102 to the first turning drum 20 is shown schematically, while in Fig. 4b the transfer of the flipped filter cigarettes 102 to the conveyor drum 12 is shown schematically.

In both figures, further details have not been drawn in for reasons of better clarity and illustration. The two turning drums 20, 22 have the same shape and have a cone angle of greater than 90 °, i.e. that the angle between the tangent to the surface line and the axis of rotation of the turning drum enclose an angle which is greater than 45 °. The two turning drums 20, 22 are typically constructed identically.

Within the scope of the invention it can also be provided that the two turning drums 20, 22 are also designed differently.

The turning drum 20 has the axis of rotation 38, while the second turning drum 22 has an axis of rotation 48. As from the two representations in 4a, 4b shows, the turning drums 20, 22 are arranged such that their axes of rotation 38, 48 do not intersect. In addition, the axes of rotation 38, 48 also do not intersect with the axis of rotation of the conveyor drum 12.

The cone axis 38 is arranged such that the filter cigarettes 102 after being picked up by the conveyor drum 12 (cf. Fig. 4a ) move away from the center of the conveyor drum 12 or a machine center and that the filter cigarettes 102 move back to the center of the conveyor drum 12 before being transferred to the conveyor drum 12 (cf. Fig. 4b ) move there. In addition, the receiving troughs of the cone drum 20, 22 are provided with cutouts to allow the movement path of the cigarettes 102 on the cone drums 20, 22.

All of the above-mentioned features, including those that can only be taken from the drawings, and also individual features that are in combination with others Features disclosed are considered alone and in combination as essential to the invention. Embodiments according to the invention can be fulfilled by individual features or a combination of several features. In the context of the invention, features which are labeled "in particular" or "preferably" are to be understood as optional features.

Reference symbol list

10th

Conveyor drum

12

Conveyor drum

14

Conveyor drum

20th

Turning drum

22

Turning drum

30th

Truncated cone

32

Receiving trough

38

Axis of rotation

48

Axis of rotation

101

Filter cigarette

102

Filter cigarette

105

Longitudinal center axis

T

Drum arrangement

F

Filter attachment machine

Claims (12)

1. A device for turning rod-shaped articles (101, 102) of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and/or cigarettes, with a turning drum (20, 22) having a conical frustum and a frustoconical jacket, wherein the turning drum (20, 22) can be rotated about an axis of rotation or is rotatingly driven, wherein the frustoconical jacket of the turning drum (20, 22) has receiving troughs for the rod-shaped articles in the peripheral direction of the frustoconical jacket, characterized in that the receiving troughs are configured and arranged in the frustoconical jacket such that the middle longitudinal axes of the receiving troughs in the turning drum (20, 22) and the rotational axis (38, 48) of the turning drum (20, 22) do not intersect, and/or when rod-shaped articles (101, 102) are arranged in the receiving troughs in the turning drum (20, 22), the middle longitudinal axes of the rod-shaped articles and the rotational axis (38, 48) of the turning drum (20, 22) do not intersect.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the turning drum (20, 22) has an angle between the rotational axis (38, 48) and the surface line of the frustoconical jacket of 45° to 70°, in particular from 45° to 60°.
3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the receiving troughs are each formed in the frustoconical lateral surface by means of a groove, wherein with reference to the direction of rotation of the turning drum (20, 22), the grooves each have a first expansion facing the base surface of the conical frustum, wherein the first expansion of the particular groove leads, and the grooves each have a second expansion facing away from the base surface of the conical frustum, wherein the second expansion of the particular groove trails relative to the rotational direction of the particular groove.
4. The device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a drive is provided for the turning drum (20, 22) to rotate the turning drum (20, 22).
5. An assembly for turning rod-shaped articles (101, 102) of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and/or cigarettes, with a first device according to one of claims 1 to 4, and with a second device according to one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the rotational axis (38, 48) of the turning drum (20, 22) of the first device and the rotational axis (38, 48) of the turning drum (20, 22) of the second device are arranged relative to each other such that they do not intersect.
7. The assembly according to claim 5 for 6, characterized in that a delivery drum (12) is provided for the transaxial delivery of rod-shaped articles (101, 102), in particular filter rods and/or cigarettes, wherein the delivery drum (12) is arranged on the first device and on the second device, wherein the delivery drum (12) is configured to deliver a row of rod-shaped articles (101, 102) arranged transaxially one after the other in sequentially arranged receiving troughs in a peripheral direction, preferably in a cylindrical drum body, or two rows of rod shaped articles (101, 102) arranged next to each other in a longitudinal axial direction and one after the other in a transaxial direction when the delivery drum (12) rotates about the rotational axis of the delivery drum (12).
8. The assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that the rotational axis of the delivery drum (12) does not intersect with one of the rotational axes (38, 48) of the turning drum (20) of the first device, or of the turning drum (22) of the second device, or does not intersect with two rotational axes (38, 48) of the turning drum (20) of the first device and of the turning drum (22) of the second device.
9. A machine (F) of the tobacco processing industry, in particular a filter assembler with a device according to one of claims 1 to 4, or with an arrangement according to one of claims 5 to 8.
10. A method for delivering rod-shaped articles (101, 102) of the tobacco processing industry, in particular filter rods and/or cigarettes, wherein one or two rows of rod-shaped articles (101, 102) arranged transaxially one after the other are delivered transaxially in receiving troughs of an in particular cylindrical delivery drum (12), wherein the rod-shaped articles (101, 102) of the one row, or one of the two rows, are transferred from the rotating delivery drum (12) onto a first device according to one of claims 1 to 4, and delivered into the receiving troughs of the rotating turning drum (20, 22) of the first device, wherein the longitudinal middle axes of the rod-shaped articles do not intersect with the rotational axis (38) of the turning drum (20) of the first device, wherein subsequently the rod-shaped articles are transferred from the turning drum (20, 22) of the first device to a second device according to one of claims 1 to 4 and are delivered into the receiving troughs in the rotating turning drum (22) of the second device, wherein the longitudinal middle axes of the rod-shaped articles do not intersect with the rotational axis (48) of the turning drum (22) of the second device, and wherein subsequently the rod-shaped articles are transferred from the turning drum (20, 22) of the second device into the receiving troughs of the delivery drum (12) from which the rod-shaped articles (101, 102) have been transferred to the turning drum (20) of the first device.
11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that when delivering two rows of rod-shaped articles (101, 102) arranged next to each other in a longitudinal axial direction and one after the other in a transaxial direction on the delivery drum (12), the articles (101) of one row are turned by the turning drum (20, 22) of the first device and by the turning drum (20, 22) of the second device in a turning process, wherein the turned rod-shaped articles are inserted between rod shaped articles (101) of the second row that remain on the delivery drum (12) after the turning process and were not turned so that the turned rod shaped articles (102) and the unturned rod shaped articles (101) have the same orientation on the delivery drum (12) and are arranged in a row transaxially one after the other on the delivery drum (12).
12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that when delivering two rows of rod-shaped articles (101, 102) delivered next to each other on the delivery drum (12), the rod-shaped articles (101, 102) of the rows are or will be arranged unspaced from each other in a longitudinally axial direction, in particular without spreading, in the receiving troughs in the delivery drum (12) before being transferred to the turning drum (20, 22) of the first device.

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