GB2243983A

GB2243983A - Cigarette paper

Info

Publication number: GB2243983A
Application number: GB9110508A
Authority: GB
Inventors: La Fuente Llanos Antonio De
Original assignee: Mecanizados Y Talleres Ind S A
Current assignee: Mecanizados Y Talleres Ind S A
Priority date: 1990-05-16
Filing date: 1991-05-15
Publication date: 1991-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-15
Also published as: DE4116020A1; IT1245548B; ITTO910361A1; ITTO910361A0; GB2243983B; ES2020460A6; DE4116020C2; GB9110508D0

Abstract

A cigarette paper formed with an adhesive strip at one or both ends on its interior sunface. A method of making a cigarette, comprising applying an adhesive to an area of a cigarette paper such that the adhesive substantially encircles an end of the cigarette whereby tobacco at the cigarette end is secured to the paper. <IMAGE>

Description

S 1 1

TITLE: CIGARETTES DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to cigarettes.

During the manufacture of cigarettes it happens that until the cigarettes are placed in packets for sale to the public, and even when they are in such packets, particles of the tobacco become detached f rom the f ree ends of the cigarettes. This results in significant economic losses for the manufacturing companies, because this loss of tobacco leads to the rejection of manufactured cigarettes during quality control. Moreover. the progressive loss of tobacco from the cigarettes inside the packet, both until the time when the packet is sold and whilst the consumer has it in his possession, means that the cigarettes lose their consistency and that, consequently, when they are smoked they are not in optimum condition. At the same time the actual loss of tobacco and its dropping into the pockets of the smoker's clothing, gives rise to a further problem when the clothes are ultimately cleaned.

It is an object of the present invention to mitigate such inconveniences and problems.

According to the invention there is provided a method of making cigarettes comprising depositing on the cigarettes' wrapping paper a gummed strip in an area corresponding to the interior of the free end of the cigarettes, to produce at said end of the cigarettes a crown to which the loose tobacco becomes stuck, thereby ensuring retention of the tobacco in the subsequent process 2 of manufacture and packeting of the cigarettes, both within the packets waiting to be sold and whilst in the possession of the smoker before being smoked.

Said gummed strip can be applied continuously during the actual manufacturing process, supplying thereby transverse gummed strips suitably spaced along the band of wrapping paper during the continuous f eeding of the latter, in such a way that when the wrapping of the tobacco takes place, the tobacco becomes stuck in the annular area on the interior of the band of paper, retention of the enclosed loose tobacco being assured by this process, which effectively avoids the movement of the same and its detachment. It is envisaged that the transverse gummed strips should be applied precisely in the areas which will correspond to the cut between the different cigarettes, covering part of the paper on each side of the cutting line, in such a way that the strips will serve equally for two consecutive cigarettes.

In this way it is possible to mitigate the problem of tobacco loss in a simple manner which is easy to achieve, which moreover does not affect the taste of the cigarettes since the gummed strip is burnt in the first moments of lighting the cigarette, and since the adhesive used is of the same inert material which is conventionally used for sealing the cigarette papers. From another aspect, the invention is a cigrette made by the method described above.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:- 3 Figure 1 is a section of the continuous band of paper which is used for the manufacture of the cigarettes, on which can be found a series of dots, the longtitudinal area of gum for closing the cigarette wrapper and the gummed areas of the transversal strips for the rentention of the tobacco in the ends of the cigarettes, although these will be applied in different stages; Figure 2 shows apparatus the gumming of the transverse strips on the continuous band of wrapping paper for the cigarettes, for the retention of the tobacco in the end of the same, and Figure 3 is an illustration of alternative apparatus for the gumming of the tobacco retention areas at the end of the cigarettes.

Reference Details 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Band of wrapping paper. Gummed lontitudinal strip. Gummed transverse strips. Cutting lines. Cigarettes. Tank. Glue. Articulation point. Drive cylinder.

10. Gumming roller 11. Dosing roller.

4 12. Pressure roller. 13. Grooves. 14. Tangential scraper. 15. End scrapers. 16. Rod. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Tubular channel.

Revolving disc.

Shaft.

Opening.

Closed chamber.

Pressurised air entrance.

In the drawings, there is shown a system for the retention of tobacco in the ends of the cigarettes, which consists of providing the free end of the cigarettes with a small annular gummed strip on the inside of the wrapping paper, in order that the loose tobacco within the cigarette should become attached to it, thus avoiding detachment of the same.

It is envisaged that the gumming of the wrapping paper (1) should be done before the latter is rolled round the corresponding rod of tobacco, positioning the respective lontitudinal gummed strip (2) onto the edge of and transvere gummed strips (3) in the areas which correspond to the cutting lines (4) between the adjacent cigarettes (5).

As can be seen in Figure 1, the transverse gummed strips (3), may be provided on alternate cutting lines (4), t,' in the case of the manufacture of cigarettes (5) which are going to be fitted with a filter; in such a way that said strips (3) cover part of the paper (1) on both sides of the corresponding cutting line (4) with which, when the division for the separation of the cigarettes (5) is effected, a part of each one of the strips (3) is applied to the two consecutive cigarettes (5) separated by the cut.

In this way, each cigarette (5) is provided at one end, which will be the opposite ends should a filter be incorporated, with part of the gummed strip (3), in a ring inside the wrapping paper (1), which means that the surrounded loose tobacco is stuck onto the annular gummed strip (3), thereby assuring the rentention of the tobacco in such a way that its detachment is impeded, which thus assures the permanent consistency and. completeness of the cigarettes (5) during their later handling and until they are smoked.

It is obvious that this solution may equally be applied in the case of cigarettes without a filter, in which case it would be necessary for the transverse gummed strips (3) to be applied to the paper (1) along all the cutting line (4) separating the cigarettes (5), thus resulting in the fixing of the enclosed loose tobacco at both ends.

In either case, it is envisaged that the application of the transverse gummed strips (3) should be achieved during the actual continuous production process of the cigarettes (5), without interruption of the same, each 6 application being achieved for example by means as shown in Figure 2, in which the gumming of the aforementioned transverse strips (3) is conducted continuously by way of an applicator roller (1), when the band of paper (1) passes into contact with it.

This may be carried out in the following way:

In a tank (6), which contains the glue (7) which is to be applied and which is mounted on an articulation (8) about which it can be tilted by means of a drive cylinder (9), is incorporated a set of two tangential rollers (10) and (11), of which the roller (10) is smooth and is face to face with an adjustable pressure roller (12), while the roller (11) is so arranged that it is partially submerged in the glue (7), its surf ace being def ined in such a way that on all its periphery and extending from one end to the other of its length, is set a series of grooves (13) suitably positioned around it with a predetermined distance between the same.

This set of rollers (10) and (11) is coupled to a drive motor, capable of driving them in rotation at a predetermined speed, while on the roller (11) there is a tangential scraper (14) working on the area in which the grooves (13) are found, having moreover other end scrapers (15), at which said roller (11) becomes impregnated with glue (7) when it is turned, the glue then being removed from the surface of the roller by the scrapers (14) and (15), all except for the grooves (13) which remain full of glue, so that when it comes into contact with the roller 7 (10) the latter is coated with glue on its periphery in successive spaced longtitudinal strips.

Thus when the a of cigarette wrapping paper (1) passed between the roller (10) and the pressure roller (12), and when the tank system (6) is lifted by means of the cylinder (9) until the aforementioned rollers (10) and (12) are pressed together, on passing the band of paper (1) between them, the latter when coming into contact with the roller (10) becomes coated with the glue which the grooves (13) of the roller (11) deposit on the paper, due to the permanent tangential contact of both roller together, whereby on the aforementioned band of paper (1) successive spaced out transverse areas (3) are coated with glue, said areas coinciding with the cutting lines (4) along which the rod (16) has to be cut out in order to determine the consecutive sections of the cigarettes (5), which results in the gummed strip at the end for the retention of the enclosed tobacco.

The drive motor for the roller system (10) and (11), preferably has two selectable speeds, one fast for the operating time during which the gumming of the band of paper (1) will take place, and the other slower for the times when it is not operating, that is to say when said gumming of the band of paper (1) is not being done, and during the period of time when the tank system (6) is in the lowered position so that the roller (10) is not in contact with the pressure roller (12) since during this inoperative time it is necessary to keep the roller (11) 8 turning so that the glue which is deposited in the grooves (13) and in the smooth crown at the end of it, does not dry out and leave said roller (11) unserviceable for the next stage of the manufacturing process of the cigarettes (5) in the same way as described.

There are, of course, other possible ways of applying the transverse gummed strips (3) to the band of wrapping paper (1), during the continuous manufacturing of the cigarettes, as shown for example in Figure 3, with which the application of the lontitudinal gummed strip (2) for closing the wrapper is achieved independently in any convenient method, while the transverse gummed strips (3) for the rentention of the tobacco at the free ends of the cigarettes (5) are obtained by means of a grille or mesh (17) in front of which the band of paper (1) is made to pass whilst it is fed towards the shaping of the rod (16), while on the other side of the aforementioned grille (17) is fitted a tubular channel (18), which is closed on its rear part by a disc (19) mounted on a shaft (20) rotating at a predetermined speed in sychronisation with the advance of the band of paper (1), said disc (19) being formed with an opening or window (21), this system being disposed in a closed chamber (22) into which air is blown through an entrance (23), so that when said disc turns (19), each time that the opening (21) passes in front of the tubular channel (18), through this is produced a blast of air which causes the glue which is carried on the grille (17) to be thrown against the band of paper (1), resulting in the i 1 9 application onto the paper of the successive transverse gummed strips (3) destined for the retention of the tobacco at the free end of the cigarettes (5) which is achieved at the end of the process.

Claims

1. System for the retention of tobacco in the end of a cigarette, comprising at an end edge of the wrapping paper of the cigarette, of a strip which extends in a transverse direction, in such a way that in the rolling of said wrapping paper of the cigarette an internal annulus of adhesive is defined, which fixes tobacco to the cigarette paper.

System for the retention of tobacco in the ends of cigarettes, according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive strip is applied to the paper during the actual process of continuous feeding of a band of wrapping paper, by means of the application of spaced transverse strips on the continuous band of paper.

3. System for the retention of tobacco in the ends of cigarettes according to claim 2 wherein the transverse strips on the continuous band of wrapping paper are applied in the areas which will correspond to the cutting areas between the different cigarettes, covering a part of the paper on both sidea of the cutting line.

4. System for the retention of tobacco in the ends of cigarettes according to any preceding claim, wherein the application of the transverse strips on the band of wrapping paper is effected jointly and by the same means of application as for the adhesive on the lontitudinal edge of the paper for the closing of the cigarette, or by other different means in an independent operation during the 1 11 continuous process of manufacture of the cigarettes.

5. A method of making a cigarette, comprising applying an adhesive to an area of a cigarette paper such that the adhesive substantially encircles an end of the cigarette whereby tobacco at the cigarette end is secured to the paper.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein adhesive is applied to the paper at both ends of the cigarette.

7. A method according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein adhesive is applied in a narrow strip to a portion of the paper which is to form the interior of one end of the cigarette.

8. A method of making a cigarette, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

9. A cigarette paper formed with a band of adhesive along one or both ends of the paper on the side which is to form the interior surface.

Published 1991 at The Patent Office, Concept House, Cardiff Road, Newport, Gwent NP9 I RH. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch, Unit 6, Nine Mile Point. Cwmfelinfach, Cross Keys, Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid, St Mary Cray, Kent.