GB995604A - Improvements in or relating to tobacco-manipulating machines - Google Patents

Abstract

995,604. Cigarette-making machines. D. W. MOLINS, G. F. W. POWELL, F. POCOCK, and MOLINS ORGANISATION Ltd. June 28, 1961 [June 29, 1960], No. 22772/60. Heading A2C. [Also in Division G3] In a continuous rod cigarette-making machine, the continuous tobacco filler is passed through a passage into which air is introduced, the pressure drop across the tobacco filler is measured and variations in the pressure drop are used to control the uniformity of the filler. The continuous tobacco filler is held on a conveyer 2 (Fig. 1) by suction applied to a chamber 3 through a pipe 4. The filler is trimmed by a pair of rotary discs 5 before being associated with a garniture tape 31 and paper wrapper 34 and passed into a passage formed by a V-section trough 33 (Fig. 3), a compression shoe 37 and tongue 38. A first control of the uniformity of the filler is affected by a suction chamber 6 which the filler passes. Variations in pressure in the chamber 6 are communicated by a pipe 8 to bellows 9, hydraulic amplifier 11, link 13 and lever 12 on which are supported trimmers 5. Low pressure in the bellows indicates excess tobacco and causes a movement of the trimmers 5 upwardly, whilst high pressure, indicating lack of tobacco, cause them to move downwardly. To compensate for long term variations in the uniformity of the filler a second control is provided. Air is forced by pump 40 through pipe 41 into the passaged formed by the trough 33, shoe 37 and tongue 38. Variations in pressure in the pipe 41 which depend upon the rate at which air escapes to atmosphere from the passage, and hence upon the uniformity of the filler, are communicated via an integration chamber 45 to two chambers 42 and 43, both of which include flexible diaphragms 47, 48 carrying electric contacts 49, 53 which make with either contacts 51 and 55 or 50 and 54 respectively, depending on the pressure on the left, hand side of the diaphragms. The arrangement is such that a motor 20 mechanically connected to the end of the lever 12 remote from the link 13 is energized to rotate in one direction or other to raise or lower the trimmers 5 depending on whether contact 49 in the chamber 42 makes with contact 51 or 50 respectively. The contacts are connected to motor controlling circuit 52 (Fig. 7, not shown). The contacts in the chamber 43 are normally open, being closed only when there is an excessive rise or drop in pressure, e.g. starting or stopping the machine. Closure of these contacts stops the motor 20. Instead of controlling trimmers 5, the motor may be arranged to vary the rate of feed of tobacco from a hopper. In an alternative arrangement (Figs. 8-10, not shown) instead of the chambers 42, 43, two resilient capsules are provided which communicate with the pipe 44. Each capsule carries a contact which makes with a fixed contact, and the position of the capsules is initially adjustable. The arrangement is such that the motor 20 rotates in one direction or other if neither of the capsule contacts make with the fixed contacts or if both capsule contacts make with the fixed contacts. Specifications 854,736, 881,024, 895,733 and 929,338 are referred to.