JP2012501640A - Cutting device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a cutting device that produces a constant strand length effect using a tobacco cutting device with a standard non-contoured knife. The cutting device includes a mouth defined by a jaw assembly for delivering material to be cut to a cutting position, and a cutting drum. The cutting drum comprises at least one knife having a cutting blade. The cutting drum has drive means and is rotatable about an axis arranged substantially parallel to the mouth so that the cutting blade of at least one knife is arranged substantially perpendicular to the material to be cut. . The grinder is provided for removing material from the cutting blade of at least one knife, the grinder being moved in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. , Configured to contact the cutting blade. The cutting device limits the maximum length of tobacco strand to be cut by utilizing a standard flat knife in combination with a special mode of operation of the cutting device knife polishing system.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a cutting device and a cutting method, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a cutting device and a cutting method for cutting a part of a laminated product such as tobacco leaves.

  Tobacco leaves are processed for cigarette manufacture in the primary tobacco process. The laminated portion of tobacco leaves is compressed and then cut with a cutting device to produce tobacco pieces suitable for cigarette manufacture. In a typical cutting process, the width of the cut is 0.7 mm to 1.0 mm. The length of the manufactured tobacco strand is very variable and varies from 1 mm or less to 200 mm or more. The maximum length of the pieces depends on the size of the slices to be cut, and eventually the size of these slices depends on the size of the leaves from which the leaves come.

  The presence of long strips in chopped tobacco has traditionally been considered advantageous and has been considered an indicator of product quality. However, long strips have been shown to reduce the free-flowing nature of the product and cause processing non-uniformity problems at all stages up to and including cigarette manufacture. In order to overcome these problems, various ways have been devised to limit the maximum length of chopped tobacco strands. One feature of this constant strand length chopped cigarette is that it flows much more freely and smoothly than normally chopped material. This means that the product is more easily mixed with other types of tobacco blend ingredients during processing, and a higher degree of processing uniformity is achieved in the drying process and in adding flavor to the tobacco. It has also been discovered that when processing a product with a constant strand length, the variation in the weight of the cigarette produced by the cigarette making apparatus is significantly reduced.

  An example of a technique for limiting the maximum length of chopped tobacco strands by the use of castle-shaped or ribbed knives is described in WO85 / 104616. By applying such means, the maximum length of the tobacco strand is limited to the distance between the ribs of the knife, or as a variant, the pitch of the knife groove. Usually, the maximum strand length is limited to 20-40 mm, but other dimensions are feasible. The grooved or ribbed knife type described in WO85 / 104616 is expensive to make for the preparation and machining of the required shape or contour of the knife.

  It is desirable to make tobacco strands cut to a limited maximum length using an inexpensive device and a simple and inexpensive process.

  According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a constant strand length effect using a cigarette cutting device with a standard non-contoured knife.

  The present invention limits the maximum length of chopped tobacco strands, as described above, by utilizing a standard flat knife in combination with a special mode of operation of the cutter knife polishing system.

  The disadvantage of using ribbed or grooved knives is that most of the knife material must be removed by expensive and precise machining operations during knife manufacture. As a result, the cost of these consumables is several times the cost of an equivalent standard knife.

  According to a second aspect, the present invention is a cutting device, a mouth defined by a jaw assembly for delivering the material to be cut to a cutting position, and at least one knife having a cutting blade A cutting drum having a drive means, the cutting drum of the at least one knife being substantially parallel to the mouth so that the cutting blade is arranged substantially perpendicular to the material to be cut A grinder for removing material from the cutting blade of the at least one knife, the grinder moving in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the cutting drum And a cutting device configured to be brought into contact with the cutting blade by movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cutting drum.

  By providing the cutting device with a grinder that operates in combination with a movement in a direction substantially parallel to and substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, a constant strand length cutting operation is achieved with a standard, contourless knife. be able to. The knives used are of uniform thickness and do not need to be made by expensive machining operations. Thus, the overall cost of the device is reduced and replacement parts are more easily obtained. Each knife is configured to be fed away from the axis of rotation of the cutting drum and toward the cutting position at the mouth, whereby the knife should be moved and cut toward the cutting position The material can be advantageously cut repeatedly and with high reliability. There may be a plurality of knives, for example a number in the range of 8-10.

  The grinder is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum at the cutting position so that the grinder can be easily accessed to the knife to be ground and the cutting blade is arranged on a virtual cylindrical surface. It is configured to be rotated about the arranged axis.

  The cutting device may comprise a clamping device for compressing the material to be cut at the cutting position. With this arrangement, the material to be cut is applied to the cutting blade in an extruded and compressed manner and with a substantially uniform composition.

  One or more conveyor bands or conveyor belts form a jaw assembly.

  Preferably, the cutting device includes a control assembly configured to control the movement of the grinder in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cutting drum. More preferably, the control assembly is configured to control the movement of the grinder to a series of one or more discontinuous movements in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, the grinder being substantially grooved. Move with shape movement. In an alternative embodiment, the control assembly is configured to control the movement of the grinder into a series of one or more incremental movements in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, the grinder being Move with wave motion. These forms of cutting devices and control assemblies have been found to be particularly useful when the knife has a non-standard profile.

  Preferably, the control assembly is configured to control the movement of the grinder in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cutting drum and controls the movement of the grinder in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the cutting drum. The moving speed of the grinder in the direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum is faster than the moving speed of the grinder in the direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting device. This configuration has been found to be particularly useful for polishing knives with a grooved profile. The control assembly may include a pivot arm and a geared stepper. The control assembly should adjust the movement of the grinder in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum to be in the range of 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm, and is particularly useful for cutting constant length portions of material. I found out.

  Preferably, the cutting blade of at least one knife is arranged so that the cutting blade coincides with the mouth. The mouth part is preferably provided with a contour corresponding to the contour of the knife so that a minimum gap between the knife and the mouth part is maintained at all points in the cutting width.

  According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a cigarette having a constant strand length, comprising the cutting device.

  According to a fourth aspect, the present invention is a method for producing a tobacco having a constant strand length, wherein the tobacco material to be cut is delivered to a cutting position at the mouth defined by the jaw assembly. Rotating a cutting drum having a cutting blade about an axis disposed substantially parallel to the mouth so that the cutting blade is disposed substantially perpendicular to the material to be cut; Polishing the cutting contour of the cutting blade by bringing a grinder into contact with the cutting blade by movement in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum and movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum. It is characterized by including.

  The step of moving the grinder is to move and cut the grinder in a series of one or more separate movements in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum and a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum. The blade may include a step of polishing the groove profile.

  The step of moving the grinder comprises moving the grinder in a series of one or more gradual movements in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. Polishing the corrugated contour of the cutting blade.

  The method may include the step of compressing the extruded tobacco material with a chin assembly.

  In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the following terminology is used and described below.

  A first longitudinal dimension and a second longitudinal dimension are described. The first longitudinal dimension is a dimension that is measured substantially along the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, and is referred to below as the length (eg of the cut strand) and the width (eg of the cutting drum). Thus, the length of the cut strand of tobacco is approximately a measure of the size of the strand in the direction of the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. Thus, the width of the cutting drum is a measurement of the size of the cutting drum in a direction substantially parallel to its axis of rotation, and thus the width of the mouth is the mouth opening in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. It is a measured value of the dimension.

  “Transverse movement” means movement in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum and thus along the length dimension.

  The second longitudinal dimension is a dimension measured substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, also referred to below as width, depth or thickness. Thus, the width or depth of the cut is the dimension of the cut in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. Thus, the width or thickness of the cut strand of tobacco is the dimension of the cut strand measured in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum.

  “Radial movement” means movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. “Contour” means the cutting blade of a knife acting on the material to be cut, and the contour is the shape of the polishing surface that is created at the knife tip by the action of a grinder. “Separate” means a change in a parameter, eg, size, condition or operating condition, a substantial step change.

  The present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is sectional drawing of the tobacco cutting machine of the conventional design suitable for the structure which forms the cutting device of this invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of further details of the cutting drum of the tobacco cutting machine of FIG. 1. It is a side view of a part of the cutting device of the present invention. It is the schematic of the cutting device of this invention which shows the range of movement of a grinder. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the shape of a knife tip made according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the knife tip of FIG. 5.

  One type of typical conventional cigarette cutting machine and cigarette cutting machine adapted to form the cutting apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the apparatus of FIGS. The cutting device includes a vibration supply device 1, a monitor 2, two taper feed bands 3, 4 that compress incoming thin slices of tobacco and transport it through the mouth 5 toward the cutting drum 6. including. In a preferred embodiment, each feed band 3, 4 is in the form of a conveyor belt with compression weighted parts. The feed bands 3, 4 form a jaw assembly for the mouth 5, and together define a plenum through which the tobacco layer passes and is compressed.

  The cutting drum 6 is supported between the bearings and is driven by a motor (not shown) so that the drum rotates at a speed of 200 rpm to 600 rpm.

  The cutting drum 6 comprises eight or ten knives 12 that are evenly arranged around its circumference, although other numbers of knives 12 may be used. FIG. 2 shows the cutting drum in more detail. In a preferred embodiment, the knife 12 is a plate of alloy steel having a thickness of approximately 1 mm to 1.5 mm extending across the full width of the mouth 5. The cutting drum 6 is positioned adjacent to the mouth 5 and a compressed “cheese” or “cake” of tobacco is pushed through the mouth 5 towards the rotating cutting drum 6. The cutting drum 6 is arranged so that the rotation axis of the cutting drum 6 is substantially parallel to the mouth portion 5. As a result of the action of the sharp knife 12 passing from the top to the bottom of the extruded material “cheese” to be cut, ie from a position above the feed band 4 to a position below the feed band 3, the tobacco strands are cut The thickness is a function of the extrusion speed with respect to the rotational speed of the cutting drum 6.

  In conventional configurations of cigarette cutters, knives are delivered slightly out of the cutting drum at frequent intervals. A grinder in the form of a rotating wheel continuously traverses across the width of the cutting drum, sharpening the knife and maintaining the sharp inclined profile of the knife. The movement of the grindstone ensures that the radius of the knife tip from the mouth and the radius of the knife tip from the center of the cutting drum remain constant. After several lateral movements, the grindstone is moved radially towards the axis of the cutting drum, in other words in the radial direction, and its contact position is kept constant and fixed by the action of the fixed diamond. The diamond "corrects" the wheel as it passes through the fixed diamond at one end of its stroke. The speed of the conveyor belt or feed band is controlled in proportion to the speed of the cutting drum so as to produce the required cutting width.

  The improvement of the present invention in the operation of a conventional cigarette cutter will now be described herein with reference to FIGS. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the grinder takes the form of a grinding wheel 7 mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of the cutting drum 6. The grindstone assembly is arranged so that it can be accurately positioned around the cutting drum 6, ie closer to the outer circumference or further away from the outer circumference. The grindstone 7 is driven and rotated by a motor. The grindstone 7 and its motor are supported by a pivot arm 15. The pivot arm, thus the grindstone and the motor, is raised and lowered by the geared stepping motor 16 and the screw 17. The grindstone assembly is attached to the positioning device so as to be movable in the lateral direction, that is, in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum 6. In a preferred embodiment, the positioning device is a laterally moving trolley 13 supported by a linear bearing 14 so that it can move across the width of the cutting drum 6. The position of the grindstone 7 is determined by a lead screw that is driven by a motor and includes a positioning device such as a position encoder.

  To achieve the desired grooved knife profile, the grinder is controlled as follows with movement as shown in FIG.

  The grindstone 7 establishes the outer periphery of the knife 12 by laterally moving the cutting drum 6 once or twice or more.

  The grindstone 7 then makes one or more “plunging” lateral movements, during which the grindstone 7 is moved a certain distance toward the center of the drum at a predetermined position across the lateral movement. These plunge movements in the radial direction may be abrupt, in which case a grooving effect occurs or, as a variant, the plunge movement may be more gradual, in which case it is like a waveform or a wave This produces an undulating effect.

  In a preferred embodiment, the depth of penetration movement is equal to or greater than the width (or depth) of the cutting dimension. Individual strands are completely cut at the edges of the grooves or corrugations and the strand length is limited to the desired maximum. If the radial plunge movement is significantly less than the width (or depth) of the cut dimension, the strand may not be completely cut at the edge of the groove. The shape of the polishing surface at the tip of the knife is shown in FIGS.

  Various modifications may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. The number of knives and grinders may be different. There may be one or more cutting drums and one or more devices for delivery of the material to be cut, for example one or more conveyors or compression lines may be provided. In an alternative embodiment, the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel or the orientation of the array may be set at a constant angle or along an axis different from the axis of the cutting drum. Furthermore, other rotating speed cutting drums and grinding wheels may be envisaged.

Claims (22)

  A cutting device for producing a constant strand length effect using a cigarette cutting device with a standard non-contoured knife. A cutting device,
A mouth defined by a jaw assembly for delivering the material to be cut to a cutting position;
A cutting drum having at least one knife having a cutting blade;
The cutting drum has drive means and rotates about an axis arranged substantially parallel to the mouth so that the cutting blade of the at least one knife is arranged substantially perpendicular to the material to be cut Is possible,
A grinder for removing material from the cutting blade of the at least one knife;
The grinder is configured to contact the cutting blade by movement in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum and movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum. Cutting device.   The cutting device according to claim 2, wherein the knife is configured to be fed in a direction away from an axis of rotation of the cutting drum and toward the cutting position at the mouth.   4. The cutting device according to claim 2, wherein the grinder is configured to be rotated around an axis disposed substantially parallel to a rotation axis of the cutting drum. 5.   The cutting device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein material is removed from each knife such that the cut surface is polished and the cutting blade is located on a virtual cylindrical surface.   The cutting device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a clamping device for compressing the material to be cut at the cutting position.   The cutting device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the jaw assembly includes at least two conveyor bands.   The cutting apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, further comprising a control assembly that controls movement of the grinder in a direction substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cutting drum.   The control assembly is configured to control movement of the grinder to a series of one or more discontinuous movements in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, the grinder being generally groove-shaped. The cutting device according to claim 8, which moves by the operation of   The control assembly is configured to control movement of the grinder to a series of one or more gradual movements in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, the grinder being corrugated. The cutting device according to claim 8, wherein the cutting device moves in a undulating motion.   The control assembly is configured to control movement of the grinder in a direction substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cutting drum, and controls movement of the grinder in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum. The movement speed of the grinder in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum is faster than the movement speed of the grinder in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum. The cutting device according to any one of 10.   12. The cutting device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the control assembly includes a pivot arm and a geared stepper.   13. The control assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the control assembly is configured to adjust movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum to a range of 0.2 mm to 2.5 mm. Cutting device.   The cutting device according to any one of claims 2 to 13, wherein the cutting blade of at least one knife is arranged so that the cutting blade corresponds to the mouth portion.   A method for producing tobacco having a constant strand length using the cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 14. A method of producing a constant strand length tobacco,
Delivering tobacco material to be cut to a cutting position in the mouth defined by the jaw assembly;
Rotating a cutting drum having a cutting blade about an axis disposed substantially parallel to the mouth so that the cutting blade is disposed substantially perpendicular to the material to be cut;
The grinder is brought into contact with the cutting blade by movement in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum and movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum, and the cutting contour is polished on the cutting blade. A manufacturing method comprising the steps of:   The axis of rotation of the cutting drum is a longitudinal axis and the grinder is arranged in a series of one or two in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of moving by the above discontinuous movement to polish the groove-shaped contour of the cutting blade.   The axis of rotation of the cutting drum is a longitudinal axis, and the grinder is arranged in a series of one or two in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting drum and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cutting drum. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, further comprising a step of moving and polishing the corrugated contour on the cutting blade by the above-described gradual movement.   19. A method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, comprising the step of cutting the contoured cutting blade adjacent to the mouth, thereby cutting tobacco material at the cutting position.   20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 19, further comprising compressing the extruded tobacco material with the chin assembly.   Cutting method as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.   Cutting apparatus as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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