EP3886614A1 - A method of bonding the winnower (stem) and dust wastes released at the cigarette production stages on a tobacco winnower - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a tobacco winnower processing system and a method that recycles tobacco crumbs and powders leading to the central vacuum line.

Description

A METHOD OF BONDING THE WINNOWER (STEM) AND DUST WASTES RELEASED AT THE CIGARETTE PRODUCTION STAGES ON A TOBACCO

WINNOWER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a tobacco winnower processing system and a method that recycles tobacco crumbs and powders leading to the central vacuum line.

BACKGROUND

The winnower and dust waste released during the cigarette production phases are collected in the dust collection and vessel collection zones of the factories. Since these wastes, which are the 7% of the total production, constitute great financial losses, some factories cut the winnowers by collecting them in one place and make their volume reduce. The reduced waste is mixed into the tobacco that will be put into cigarettes. However, as a result of these processes, the gain does not exceed 30%.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is defined as the tobacco winnower processing system and the method that recycles tobacco crumbs and powders going to the central vacuum line. It is included in the prior art that during the processing of the tobacco winnower, all the crumbs and powders formed in the machine are collected in a center. However, our invention relates to a method that re-uses these crumbs and powders, which are considered as waste and have never been tried to be bonded to a winnower before by sticking them on a tobacco winnower.

FIGURE LIST

Figure 1. Serrated Cylinder

Equivalent of the number given in the figure is:

1. Cylinder

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The principle of operation of a cigarette machine;

Processed tobacco, which is transported from a tobacco processing section of the factories to a cigarette machines with the help of vacuum, is vacuumed from a warehouse of the cigarette machine with the help of a spiral. The ones with high weight and volume cannot be transported, falls down and thrown into a waste bucket with a winnower collection system. In other words, it does not go through any recycling process. The tobacco separated from the winnower combines with a cigarette paper and a filter to form the cigarette and is collected in a reservoir for packaging.

The invention relates to the conveying of the winnowers to the tobacco chopper / shredder unit with the help of vacuum from a pipe connected to the exit line of the cigarette machine which has a working principle as described above. In the separator unit inside the unit, the winnowers, which are large, heavy or with unusable size, passing through the air lock are separated and directed to a waste bucket. These redirected and heavy parts with unusable size can be considered as waste. The winnowers to be used are carried to the chopper unit again with the help of vacuum. The winnowers chopped in the desired size in the chopper unit are directed to the separator unit again. The winnowers are directed to the crushing unit with free fall by means of an air lock. Simultaneously, in order to stick on the winnowers directed to the crushing unit, the waste dust and crumb-like tobacco pieces collected in the central dust collection system are carried with the help of a horizontal cyclone and an air lock by free fall right on to the chopper/ shredder unit by a pipe. Tobacco dust and crumbs poured between the crushing cylinder (1 ) with the winnowers, where in the crushing cylinders (1 ) are used to crush the tobacco winnowers sent into the unit, are squeezed with the winnower between the rolls and stick together. The crushing rollers are in least one of the serrated and flat forms in order to make the bonding process more efficient. Stuck tobacco winnowers and tobacco powders coming out of the crushing unit are conveyed to the transfer drum unit (separator with air) with the help of vacuum. The product passing through the sieves on the transfer drum is fed to the cigarette machine with free fall. The final product is included in the online process in this way.

There is a section that ensures the humidification of the winnowers before the waste dust and crumb-like tobacco pieces collected in the central dust collection system are carried with the help of the horizontal cyclone and the air lock by free fall right on to the chopper / shredder unit by the pipe. In the method of humidifying the winnowers, the moisture of the outcoming product is measured by a moisture sensor. As a result of the measurement, the winnowers that have less humidity than the desired humidity level are moistened by steam spraying on them. The adhesion rate of tobacco dust and crumbs to be poured on the moistened winnowers is much higher.

A manual pouring unit is placed at the point where the waste dust and crumb-like tobacco pieces collected in the central dust collection system are poured on the chopper / shredder unit with the help of the horizontal cyclone and the air lock by free fall. When this manual pouring unit is activated, automatic pouring is disabled and the dust and crumbs carried in the horizontal cyclone are allowed to be poured at the user's desired intervals. The dosing buttons on the manual pouring unit determine how much dust and crumbs will be poured when the pouring is allowed. The dosing buttons determine how much the lids, keeps dust and crumbs, will remain open. When the dosage amount is desired to be increased by the user, the lids are opened more, allowing more dust and crumbs to be poured. Microprocessor connected to the dosing button controls the motors connected to the dosing lids. Each setting level controls the opening of the doors by making the motor run less or more.

Tobacco dust and crumbs can also be bonded to winnowers and tobacco using food adhesives. The spray head in the crushing cylinder (1 ) section is connected to a reservoir containing food adhesive. When the tobacco winnowers come to the crushing cylinder (1 ) section, if the spray function is activated by the user, the adhesive is applied by spraying during the rotation of the winnower passing over the crushing cylinder (1 ). Afterwards, dust is added to the adhesive sprayed winnower to ensure adhesion.

Claims

1. A method of bonding the winnower and dust wastes released at the cigarette production stages on a tobacco winnower, characterized in that comprising the steps given below;

- Taking the winnowers from a pipe connected to a winnower outlet line of a cigarette machine with a help of vacuum,

- Separating large, heavy or unusable size of the winnowers passing through an air lock in a separator unit and directing them to a waste bucket,

- Measuring the humidity of the product by means of a moisture sensor and moistening by steam spraying in order to have much higher adhesion rates of tobacco dust and crumbs to be poured on the winnowers if its moisture level is less than the desired moisture level,

- Carrying the waste dust and crumb-like tobacco pieces collected in the central dust collection system with the help of a horizontal cyclone and an air lock by free fall right on to the chopper / shredder, on which the winnowers are poured, unit by a pipe,

- Using a crushing cylinder (1 ) having at least one of the serrated and flat forms to crush the tobacco winnowers sent into the unit,

- If activated, applying an adhesive by spraying during the rotation of the winnower passing over the crushing cylinder (1 ),

- Squeezing of the tobacco dust and crumbs poured between the crushing roller (1 ), which is in a form of at least one of the serrated and flat forms, with the winnower and sticking to each other,

- Conveying of the tobacco winnowers and the tobacco powders stuck together from the crusher unit to the transfer drum unit (separator with air) with the help of the vacuum,

- Feeding the product passing through the sieves on the transfer drum unit to the cigarette machine with free fall.