US3255762A

US3255762A - Method and apparatus for recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles

Info

Publication number: US3255762A
Application number: US324622A
Authority: US
Inventors: Baier Anton
Original assignee: Hauni Werke Koerber and Co KG
Current assignee: Koerber AG
Priority date: 1962-11-20
Filing date: 1963-11-19
Publication date: 1966-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-14
Also published as: GB1019355A

Description

A. BAIER June 14, 1966 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING FILLERS FROM CIGARETTES AND SIMILAR ROD SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Nov. 19, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jnven/ar: 190 0 @a/er m\\\\\\\ \g I? A BAIER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING FILLERS FROM CIGARETTES AND SIMILAR ROD SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Nov. 19, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 14, 1966 A. BAIER 3,255,762

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING FILLERS FROM CIGARETTES AND SIMILAR ROD SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Nov. 19, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 7/31 (Ba/u- 7 4414 firmer A. BAIER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING FILLERS FROM CIGARETTES AND SIMILAR ROD SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Nov. 19, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 .717 ven far 6 1 fan 3 mar June 14, 1966 A; BAIER 3,255,762

METHOD AND APIARATUS FOR RECOVERING FILLERS FROM CIGARETTES AND SIMILAR ROD SHAPED ARTICLES Filed NOV. 19, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JXT TJX F /g. 8 l/flsa 67 United States Patent 3,255,762 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING FILLERS FRQM CIGARETTES AND SKMIHLAR ROD SHAPED ARTICLES Anton Baier, Schwarzenbek, Germany, assignor to ll-launi- Werke, Kosher & (30., KG Hamburg-Beregedcrf, Germany Filed Nov. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 324,622 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 20, 1962, 43,819/62; Oct. 18, 1963, 41,230/63 2.2 Qlaims. (Cl. 13121) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper consisting of cigarette paper or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for reclaiming or recovering tobacco fillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles.

In accordance with prevailing practice, tobacco fillers contained in defective cigarettes with or without filter mouthpieces are recovered by subjecting the wrappers to the action of revolving knives which sever the wrapper material and which are likely to penetrate into the filler so that the strands of tobacco which form the filler are severed and cannot be reused in the manufacture of first grade cigarettes. Such severing of at least some tobacco strands is very difficult to avoid because the manufacturer of a reclaiming apparatus has two alternatives, namely, to insure that the knife or knives will sever each wrapper regardless of the density of the filler, or to risk that wrappers of all such fillers whose density is well below the density of an average filler will remain intact. In other words, if a filler is very soft, the knife must be mounted in such a way that it is likely to sever the strands in a densely compacted filler which follows a softer filler; on the other hand, if the knife is mounted in such a way that it will just sever the wrapper of a densely compacted filler, a cigarette containing a loosely compacted filler is likely to pass the knife without any severing of its wrapper. Since such reclaiming apparatus are used to recover tobacco from defective cigarettes, it is very likely that cigarettes with properly compacted fillers (but with damaged wrappers or filter mouthpieces) will alternate with cigarettes whose wrappers or filter mouthpieces are satisfactory but wherein the density of the filler is unsatisfactory. Consequently, the use of a knife is not the best solution for opening a wrapper if the material of the filler is to remain intact. Furthermore, and if such conventional reclaiming apparatus are used to recover fillers from filter cigarettes, and if the filter mouthpieces of such cigarettes contain carbon particles or similar granular material, the knife is likely to sever the mouthpieces so that the granular material will mix with the tobacco strands and will enter the filler of a cigarette which is made of recovered tobacco.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for recovering fillers from defective cigarettes and similar articles in such a way that the material of the filler is neither comminuted nor otherwise damaged as a result of opening of the surrounding wrapper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for recovering tobacco from cigarettes and similar articles with or without filter mouthpieces wherein only that portion of the wrapper which contains the filler is opened whereas the remainder of the article may retain its original shape so that only the filler is exposed and that the likelihood of admixing foreign matter to the re- .covered filler material is reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for recovering tobacco from cigarettes with or See without filter mouthpieces which is constructed and assembled in such a way that the wrapper which surrounds the filler will be opened irrespective of the density of the filler and that the material of the filler remains intact at the time the apparatus opens the wrapper.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics wherein the filler is automatically separated from the remainder of a defective cigarette or a similar rod shaped article, wherein all particles of the filler are separated from the wrapper and/or the filter mouthpiece, wherein the opening and separation of wrappers will take place at a high rate of speed so that the apparatus will recover large numbers of fillers per unit of time, and wherein the rate at which the defective articles are conveyed past the opening station may be regulated in a fully automatic way.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for reclaiming tobacco from cigarettes with or without filter mouthpieces wherein the wrapper need not be subjected to any severing or cutting action so that the danger of severing the strands which form the filler is non existent, wherein the recovery of tobacco from defective cigarettes may take place in immediate proximity of the cigarette machine so that the recovered fillers may be 'returned to the machine before the exposure to air brings about appreciable changes in the moisture content or other characteristics of tobacco.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel feeding, aligning and conveying device which may be used in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an improved separator assembly which may be used in an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics to separate all particles of a released filler from the wrapper material and from other non-recoverable components of a defective cigarette.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for opening the wrappers of defective cigarettes which is constructed and assembled in such a way that a crumpled article is straightened out in a fully automatic way while it advances to the opening station of the apparatus, and that the wrapper of a crumpled or partially destroyed article is opened all the way from the one to the other end thereof;

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics wherein all, even smallest, particles of filler material are separated from the non-recoverable parts of defective articles including such particles which adhere with great force to the wrapper or to the filter mouthpiece of a defective cigarette.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved guide device which automatically straightens a crumpled article on its way to the opening station.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of recovering tobacco particles from defective cigarettes with or without filter mouthpieces according to which the wrapper of a defective cigarette may be opened in response to compression, and according to which such opening leaves the wrapper in one piece to facilitate further conveying of the wrapper through the apparatus.

With the. above objects in view, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of a method of recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper. The method comprises the steps of advancing an article past an opening station and applying against the wrapper a pressure which is sufiicient to tear or rip the wrapper material so that the wrapper bursts while the article advances past the opening station.

In its simplest form, the apparatus of my invention comprises aligning means arranged to deliver defective articles endwise and in a single file toward an opening station, at least one opening member located at the opening station and arranged to subject the wrapper to a dual pressure which first acts in the radial direction of the article to form in the wrapper an inverted ridge having two mutually inclined edge portions which integrally meet in an imperforate continuous crest extending in the longitudinal direction of the article and then acts in a transverse direction to tear the wrapper along the crest and to expose the filler. The apparatus also comprises means for separating the filler from the open wrapper. The opening member may assume the form of a revolving disk preferably having a serrated marginal portion which penetrates into the material of the wrapper, and the disk may be mounted in such a way that its plane is inclined with reference to the axis of the article whereby its marginal portion automatically spreads the edge portions of the open wrapper.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an opening or ripping station in an apparatus which embodies one form of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section across the opening station as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a similar fragmentary section across the opening station of a slightly modified apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line VV of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate in vertical section a complete apparatus which embodies a structure similar to that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

FIGS. 7a and 7b illustrate the apparatus in top plan view with certain parts omitted;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the opening station in a further apparatus which is similar to the one shown in FIGS. 6a-7b;

FIGS. 9-14 are transverse sections as seen respectively from the lines IXIX, XX, XI-XI, XIIXII, XIIIXIII and X-IVXIV of FIG. 8; and

FIG. is a fragmentary side elevational view of a toothless opening member.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, there is shown a portion of an apparatus which serves to recover tobacco fillers T from defective cigarettes Z. In the illustrated embodiment, the cigarettes Z form part of elongated rod shaped articles here shown as groups G each of which includes two cigarettes and a filter mouthpiece F of double unit length therebetween. Such groups are assembled in modern filter cigarette machines to be hereupon severed across the double length filter mouthpieoes F whereby each group yields two filter cigarettes of ultimate length. A testing device which is a standard part of a modern filter cigarette machine tests the groups and initiates ejection of all defective groups. For example, a group G may be defective because the filler of one of its cigarettes Z is too dense or too loose, because the tubular cigarette paper wrapper P is torn, because the seam of adhesive which connects the overlapping edge portions P P of a cigarette paper wrapper P is defective or has been destroyed by excessive pressure of the filler T, because the connection between the filter mouthpiece F and one of the cigarettes Z is not airtight, because the filler mouthpiece F is too dense and does not permit passage of smoke, or for any other reason. Such defective groups G are fed onto an endless conveyor belt 1 which advances them endwise and in a single file past an opening or ripping station A at which the tubular cigarette paper wrapper P of each consecutive cigarette Z is ripped open from the one to the other end thereof so as to expose the filler T. y

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the apparatus comprises a pair of rotary ripping or opening members here shown as

toothed disks

2, 3 whose teeth 4, 5 intermesh at the station A and which are located in mutually inclined planes intersecting each other in a plane 9 (see FIG. 2) which passes through the axes of the groups G at the station A and which is perpendicular to the plane of the belt 1. The zone in which the teeth 4, 5 are in mesh is spaced from the belt 1 by a distance which is substantially less than the diameter of an unstressed group G so that the cigarettes Z are compressed radially inwardly, and such pressure is sufficient to rip or tear the wrapper P but to leave the filler T undamaged so that the strands which form the filler are not comminuted while they travel past the opening station A.

In FIG. 2, the outline of a non-compressed cigarette Z (upstream of the opening station A) is indicated by a phantom-line circle 8. The angle alpha between the planes of the

disks

2, 3 is about degrees, but this angle may be varied within a wide range without departing from the spirit of my invention. It wil be noted that the

disks

2, 3 are arranged in mirror symmetry with reference to the plane 9 so that this plane halves the angle alpha. The

disks

2, 3 are respectively rotatable on inclined shafts 6, 7 which need not rotate because the disks are rotated in response to engagement with consecutive groups G which advance with the travelling belt 1. The peripheral speed of the

disks

2, 3 equals or approximates the forward speed of the groups G and conveyor belt 1. It is equally possible to drive the

disks

2, 3 with respect to a stationary conveyor or at the speed of a travelling conveyor.

The teeth 4, 5 of the

disks

2, 3 form in the wrapper P an inverted roof-shaped ridge H which extends in the longitudinal direction of the group G and whose crest coincides with the line along which the wrapper P is torn in order to expose the tiller T. Since the teeth 4, 5 travel in diverging paths (see FIG. 1) as soon as they move out of mesh with each other, the

disks

2, 3 not only rip the wrapper P but also spread the opened wrapper by moving the edge portions P P away from each other to fully expose the ,filler T. In other words, the

disks

2, 3 simultaneously perform a series of operations including subjecting the exterior of the tubular wrapper P to an inwardly directed first pressure acting substantially radially of the article G to form an inverted ridge H at the inner side and a V-shaped groove M at the outer side of the wrapper, weakening the inverted ridge H by forming perforations at or adjacent to the crest, ripping the wrapper P along the thus weakened crest of the inverted ridge H by subjecting the external surfaces of edge portions P P which form the ridge H to an outwardly directed lateral second pressure also acting substantially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the article G but normal to the direction of the first pressure so as to release the filler T, and simultaneously spreading the edge portions P P of the Wrapper to fully expose the filler. The thus exposed filler is thereupon separated from the remainder of the group G by a series of separator devices one form of which will be described in connection with FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b.

The conveyor belt 1 constitutes a flexible element which is sufliciently taut to resist flexing by the toothed marginal portions of the disks 2, 3 (through the intermediary of the groups G) so that the lower portion of the cigarettes Z are flattened (see particularly FIG. 2) at the time they advance past the opening station A. Such resistance of the belt 1 is necessary to make sure that the teeth 4, 5 will actually tear wrapper P even if the filter T consists of loosely compacted tobacco. If a cigarette Z contains an exceptionally loosely compacted filler (i.e., if a wrapper contains only a small percentage of tobacco necessary to form a satisfactory filler), such small percentage of tobacco can be recovered by shaking of the cigarette even if the

disks

2, 3 fail to open the wrapper P all the way from the one to the other end thereof. The wrapper need not be moistened prior to its advance past the opening station A.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the

disks

2, 3 have failed to open the tubular wrapper K of the filter mouthpiece F. All that the teeth 4, 5 of these disks will eventually (but not necessarily) do is to form a line of small perforations or depressions R but the tensile strength of the wrapper K is such that it withstands the compressive action of the disks, i.e., the tensile strength of the wrapper K is much greater than the strength of the wrapper P. As the groups G travel past the opening station A in end-to-end alignment, less resistant wrappers P alternate with more resistant portions K and the

disks

2, 3 automatically discriminate between the parts P and K by opening the less resistant wrappers P and by simply compressing the filter mouthpieces F which comprise wrappers K of more resistant material. The mounting of the

disks

2, 3 is such (i.e., the distance between the intermeshing teeth 4, 5 and the conveyor belt 1 is selected in such a way) that the teeth will rip open a wrapper P even if they happen to engage this wrapper in a zone in which the adhesive-coated edge portions P P overlap each other.

If desired, the teeth 4, 5 may be dispensed with see the disk 102 in FIG. or alternatively such teeth or other forms of projections or serrations may be provided along the undersides of the marginal portions of the disks 2, 3 (as the parts appear in FIG. 1 or 2) so that such projections will actually penetrate into or will engage the wrapper P with sufficient friction torip the paper along the crest of the inverted ridge H shown in FIG. 2 (see the projections 1112a in FIG. 15).

In FIG. 4, the line 15 is a radius connecting the axis 14 of the disk 2 with the point at which the toothed marginal portion or rim of this disk comes nearest to the conveyor belt 1. The radius 16 extends to the point 17 where the opening station A begins, to Wit: where the wrapper P may begin to tear in response to compression by the teeth 4 (and by the teeth 5, not shown in FIG. 4). v The magnitude of the angle betabetween the

radii

15, 16 depends on the diameter of the disk 2, on the sharpness of teeth 4, on the shortest distance between the teeth 4 and belt 1, on the diameter of the wrapper P, on the compactness of the filler T, on the stiffness of the belt 1, on the strength of the wrapper P, and particularly on the inclination of the shaft 6 with respect to the axes of the groups G. In FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the axis of the shaft 6 is inclined forwardly with reference to the groups G so that this axis crosses in space and makes an acute angle with the axes of the cigarettes Z. In other words, if the belt 1 travels in a horizontal plane, the axis of the shaft 6 is neither horizontal nor vertical. This accounts mainly for the fact that the point 17 does not coincide with but is located ahead of the point where the radius 15 ends at the marginal portion of the disk 2. The marginal portions of the

disks

2, 3 begin to diverge at the point 17 and the teeth 4, 5 may begin to perforate the wrapper P in a zone located to the right of the point 17, as viewed in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows a cigarette Z at a point beyond (downstream of) the opening station A. The edge portions P P of the wrapper P are spread apart and the filler T is fully exposed so that it may be separated from the wrapper by simple mechanical or pneumatic separating devices. The integrity of the more resistant portions (filter mouthpieces F and their wrappers K) of the groups G is not affected by engagement of combined perforating, friction generating, compressing, ripping and spreading article engaging marginal portions of the opening disks 2,

3 with the groups which advance endwise at the upper side of the belt 1. In FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the point of minimal distance between the marginal portions of the

disks

2, 3 and the upper side of the belt 1 is located past the point where the teeth 4, 5 move into mesh with each other, and the marginal portions move in paths which are divergent with reference to each other because they extend to the opposite sides of the elongated path in which the groups G advance with the belt 1.

A modified construction of the opening members is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment of my invention, the

disks

2, 3 are replaced by

disks

10, 11 whose annular

peripheral portions

12, 13 are parallel to each other at the time they travel past the opening station A. Thus, a small section of each

marginal portion

12, 13 is located in a plane which is parallel with the plane 9 and is perpendicular to the plane of the belt 1. In this construction, the

marginal portions

12, 13 are not provided with teeth or similar friction generating and/or perforating serrations. As stated hereinabove, and particularly when the

marginal portions

12, 13 are without radially outwardly extending teeth, their outer sides (corresponding to the undersides of the disks 2, 3) may be provided with projections 10212 which engage with considerable friction the outer sides of the edge portions P P of the inverted V-shaped ridge formed by the

disks

10, 11 in the wrapper P to facilitate opening of this wrapper along the crest of the ridge. Otherwise, the operation of the parts shown in FIG. 3 is identical with the operation of parts described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

In FIG. 3, the

disks

10, 11 consist of flexible metallic or plastic material so that the

marginal portions

12, 13 return into the general planes of the respective disks immediately after they move away from each other. Such flexibility of the disks is of advantage but it is equally possible to make them of rigid material with bent marginal portions.

It can be said that the separating action of

disks

10, 11 is superior to that of the

disks

2, 3 but the teeth 4, 5, of the

disks

2, 3 are more likely to rip a wrapper which surrounds a very loosely compacted filler T. The

disks

10, 11 form in the cigarette a groove the innermost portion of which (at the circumference of the marginal portions 12, 13) is of nearly constant width Whereas the

disks

2, 3 form a V-shaped groove M.

The heretofore described apparatus can operate with a single opening member, i.e., with the

disk

2, 3, 10 or 11.

For'example, the disk 2 shown in-FIG. 4 may constitute the sole opening member of my apparatus. The provision of two opening members is advisable when the articles are conveyed by or with respect to a flat belt because the likelihood that an article would escape laterally during its advance past the opening station A is then reduced to a mini-mum. It is to be noted that the apparatus shown in the drawings is equally useful for opening of Wrappers on filterless cigarettes, on filter cigarettes of ultimate length (with filter mouthpieces of unit length), and for opening of other rod shaped articles wherein a compressible filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper consisting of paper or similar material.

A complete apparatus for recovering tobacco fillers from defective articles including cigarettes, filter cigarettes or groups of filter cigarettes is illustrated in FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b. This apparatus comprises two opening members or

disks

2, 3 which are identical with those described in connection With FIG. 1 but one of which is driven so that the serrated friction generating and/or perforating marginal portions of these disks move substantially at the speed of an endless conveyor belt 18 which is trained around a centrifugal aligning device including a dishshaped turntable 19 and a vertical shaft 19a which drives the turntable at high speed. The turntable 19 comprises at its upper end a short cylindrical wall 1% which serves as a deflecting roller for the belt 18. The upper portion of the belt 18 extends above the top face of the wall 1%.

A smaller deflecting member here shown as an idler roller is rotatable about a second vertical shaft 20a and one stringer of the belt 13 is twisted through 180 degrees so that a median portion 18a of this stringer travels in a horizontal plane past an opening station A which accommodates the

aforementioned opening disks

2, 3. As shown, the underside of the belt portion 18a rests on a supporting roller 21 which is rotatable about a horizontal axis and whose position is adjustable vertically by a nut 21a so that the operator is in a position to regulate the distance between the upper side of the belt portion 18a and the

disks

2, 3. Thus, the apparatus shown in FIGS. 6a-7b may be utilized for opening different types of cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles. In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus is used for recovering tobacco fillers from groups G each of which includes two cigarettes Z and a filter mouthpiece F of double unit length. The disk 2 is driven by a pulley 22a which is coaxially secured to the idler roller 20 and which drives a second pulley 22c mounted on the shaft of the disk 2. A belt 22b is trained around the

pulleys

22a, 22c in a manner as shown in FIG. 7a and is tensioned by a roll 22d. The entire belt drive for the disk 2 is identified by a numeral 22. The disk 3 is driven in a fully automatic way because its teeth mesh with the teeth of the disk 2.

The belt 18 delivers opened groups G to a first mechanical separator 23 which includes an inclined bounce plate 35 serving to deflect the articles onto a vibrating screen 36. The plate 35 is located past the idler roller 20 and the mechanical separator 23 serves to separate tobacco from wrappers P, K and filter mouthpieces F.

The turntable 19 receives groups G through a vertical supply duct 24 whose upper end is connected with a horizontally extending suction pipe 25 leading to an air lock here shown as including a cell wheel 44. The supply duct 24 is formed with a cutout which accommodates a driver pulley 27 for an endless supply belt 26. Adjacent to but spaced from the upper stringer of the belt 26, there is provided a toothed stripper wheel 28 which removes from the belt 26 all such articles G which could possibly clog the turntable 19. In other words, the stripper wheel 28 determines the maximum rate at which the belt 26 may deliver damaged articles into the interior of the turntable 19. A magazine 29 whose outlet is located above the upper stringer of the belt 26 upstream of the stripper wheel 28 constitutes a source of defective articles G and discharges such articles onto the belt 26 which conveys them into the supply duct 24. The pulley 27 is driven by a variable speed electric motor 30 through a chain or belt 30a, and a second chain or belt 31 is provided to drive the stripper wheel 28 from the pulley 27.

The turntable 19 includes a stationary cover 32 which is located above the cylindrical wall 1% and which carries a downwardly extending sensing element 33 of known design. This sensing element determines the thickness of the layer of defective articles in the interior of the turntable 19 and regulates the speed of the motor 30 for the supply belt 26 and/ or the speed of a motor which drives the shaft 19a in a manner not shown in the drawings. The operative connection 3012 between the pulley 27 and the sensing element 33 may include a constant speed motor and a variable speed transmission provided between the motor and the pulley. For example, the sensing element 33 may be movable up and down, and such movements may produce suitable mechanical or electrical impulses which regulate the speed of the motor 30 to control the rate at which the belt 26 supplies defective articles into the turntable 19 or the rate at which the belt 18 delivers aligned defective articles to the opening station A.

The path of opened-up articles G is indicated in FIG. 6b at 34, and such articles impinge against the bounce plate 35 to be deflected onto the upper side of the screen 36 which is an element of the mechanical separator 23. This mechanical separator 23, and more particularly its screen 36, delivers partially or completely emptied articles into a second mechanical separator 37 which includes a revolving pronged roll 38 located in a channel having a grate or ribbed wall 39 along which the articles must pass on their way to a discharge pipe 41 which delivers them onto a third mechanical separator including a vibrating screen 42. A nozzle 40 which is connected to a source of compressed air, not shown, discharges into the channel at a point past the grate 39 and serves to advance into and through the discharge pipe 41 any such lighter particles which might tend to remain in the separator 37.

A feed pipe 43 which extends downwardly to a level close to the upper side of the second screen 42 is connected to the air lock 44 and serves to receive from the suction pipe 25 all such solid particulate matter which has been sucked from the supply duct 24. The wheel of the air lock 44 is driven by an electric motor 45 through a belt or chain 46. Suction in the pipe 25 is created by a blower 47 whose suction side is connected with the air lock 44 and whose pressure side communicates with the atmosphere through a suitable filter 48. It will be noted that FIGS. 7a and 7b show portions of the magazine 29 in phantom lines so as not to conceal the upper stringer of the supply belt 26. FIG. 7a shows that the cross section of the duct 24 is of noncircular outline.

The apparatus of FIGS. 6a to 7b operates as follows:

The magazine 29 discharges defective articles G onto the upper stringer of the supply belt 26 which delivers them into the supply duct 24 at the rate determined by the momentary speed of the motor 30 and by the stripper Wheel 28. The weight of the articles G is such that suction prevailing in the supply duct 24 cannot prevent their descent onto the bottom plate of the turntable 19 but all lighter particles, including dust and strands of fragments of tobacco which is discharged from damaged wrappers P, will be drawn through the suction pipe 25 and into the air lock 44 to descend through the feed pipe 43 and onto the second screen 42. Suction prevailing in the pipe 25 is strong enough to entrain any particles of wrapper material which have become separated from the articles G, and such particles also descend onto the screen 42 to be removed therefrom at regular intervals or to be discharged into a suitable waste receptacle, not shown. The arrow 24a in FIG. 6a indicates the direction of advance of all lighter matter which is sucked from the supply duct 24 and from the interior of the turntable 19. It will be readily understood that a defective article G will be likely to discharge some tobacco particles when it strikes the bottom plate of the revolving turntable 119 and/or when it strikes against the inner side of the belt 18.

The turntable 19 is bounded at its inner side by a concave surface and is driven at high speed so that the articles G begin to orbit about the axis of the shaft 19a and are subjected to the action of centrifugal force which causes them to travel radially outwardly and upwardly toward and onto the inner side of the upper portion of the travelling belt 18 which conveys them tangentially of the turntable toward and past the opening station A. During its advance toward the belt portion 18a, each consecutive article G may be turned through about degrees because the belt 18 is twisted and, consequently, each such article rests on a substantially horizontal section of the belt at the time it enters the gap between the belt and the intermeshing article engaging marginal portions of the opening

disks

2, 3. The interior of the turntable 19 preferably accommodates suitable deflecting elements, 19d which insure that the turntable discharges one article G at a time and that the articles form a single file of axially aligned articles which advance toward and past the opening station A. The deflecting elements 19d in the interior of the turntable .19 are shown in the form of brushes but each thereof may resemble a metallic or plastic strip or the like. The sensing element 33 determines the thickness of the layer of articles G on the bottom plate of the turntable 19 and sends suitable signals to the motor 30 whenever the turntable receives too many or less than the requisite number of articles per unit of time.

The articles, which are aligned along the inner side of the belt 18 (i.e., along that portion of the belt 18 which is trained around the turntable 19) advance toward and past the opening station A whereby the wrappers P are opened in a manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5. The thus opened articles then continue to travel along the belt 18 and towardand past the idler roller 20 to impinge against the bounce plate 35 (arrow 34) which deflects them onto the first screen 36. In response to such impact against the plate 35 and to subsequent change in direction, the opened wrappers P release all or nearly all particles which form the fillers T, and such particles pass through the screen 36 to accummulate in a suitable receptacle 49 or to descend into a conveyor which returns them into the distributor of the cigarette machine. Any such particles of tobacco which continue to adhere to the remainder of an article G will be shaken loose by the screen 36 while the articles advance toward the channel of the second separator 37. In filter cigarettes, certain particles of tobacco tend to adhere with considerable force to the end face of a filter mouthpiece F, and such particles will be shaken loose by the wheel 38 which forwards the wrappers P, K and the filter mouthpieces F into and through the discharge pipe 41 and onto the second screen 4 2. The grate 39 cooperates with the prongs of the wheel 38 to insure that all or nearly all remaining particles of tobacco are shaken loose, and the nozzle 40 insures that all lighter matter which tends to remain in the mechanical separator 37 will advance into and through the discharge pipe 41. The second screen 42 then separates all remaining tobacco particles from the empty shells of the articles G, and this screen 42 also permits any tobacco particles which descend through the feed pipe 43 to enter the receptacle 49. Fragments of wrapper 1b driven by the turntable 50 through the intermediary of the conveyor belt 52.

The frame in which the turntable 50 rotates includes a carrier 66 which supports the

shafts

57, 58, the shaft of the idler roller 53, and the

rolls

63, 65. This carrier 66 also supports a block-shaped supporting member 67 material which might descend through the feed pipe 43 travel along the screen 42 and are collected periodically or descend into a second receptacle, not shown.

It goes without saying that the apparatus of FIGS. 6a-7b may be provided with only one or with two, four or more mechanical separators, and also that the order in which the

separators

23, 37, 42 act upon the opened articles G may be changed at the will of the designer. All that counts is to equip the apparatus with one or more separators which will insure that all or nearly all particles of tobacco are separated from the non-recoverable parts of opened defective articles so that the use of such apparatus in a cigarette manufacturing plant will be justified by recovery of satisfactory tobacco which may be reused in the manufacture of cigarettes with or Without filters.

FIG. 8 illustrates the opening station in a slightly modified apparatus wherein the opening

disks

55, 56 are closely adjacent to the dish-shaped turntable 50. The cylindrical wall 51 of this turntable is surrounded by a portion of the conveyor belt 52, and that stringer of the belt 52 which moves away from the periphery of the turntable 50 is twisted through 180 de rees so that a portion 54 thereof travels in a horizontal plane. The belt 52 is driven by the turntable and is trained around an idler roller 53 which rotates about a vertical shaft corresponding to the shaft 20a of FIG. 6a. The

disks

55, 56 rotate about

inclined shafts

57, 58, and the disk 55 is rigidly connected with a pulley 59 which is driven by a belt 61 from a driver pulley 60 secured to the idler roller 53.

The forwardly moving stringer 62 of the belt 61 is guidedby a roll 63 which is rotatable about a vertical axis, and the other stringer 64. of the belt 61 is guided along a roll 65 which rotates about a horizontal axis. The

rolls

64, 65 need not be driven and their function is to insure that the belt 61 is subjected to requisite tension and is properly trained around the

pulleys

59, 60. The belt 61 is driven by the idler pulley 53 which, in turn, is

for a bent-over flat leaf spring 68 which serves to abut against portions 69, of the conveyor belt 52, i.e., against such portions of this belt which travel toward the opening station. The point at which the belt 52 leaves the periphery of the turntable 59 is indicated in FIG. 8 by. a numeral 70, and this point is located above a horizontal guide member 71 which is located substantially at portion 72 and whose vertical side face serves as a lateral guide for the articles G, see FIGS. 11-14. The turntable 50 includes a cover 74 having an extension shown in FIGS. 9-14, and the main part of this cover serves to limit upward movement of the articles G under the action of centrifugal force when the turntable rotates at high speed. i

As illustrated in FIG. 9, an article G which has reached the belt portion 69 (ahead of the point 70) is surrounded by the underside of the cover 74, by the top face of the wall 51, and by the inner side of the belt portion 69 whereby it is positively guided along the belt 52 because it is under the influence of centrifugal force which tends the hold it in abutment with the inner side of the belt portion 69. The cover 74 has a shoulder 74a which guides the upper marginal portion of the belt 52 extending above the upper face of the wall 51, and this cover preferably consists of transparent or translucent material to permit observation of the interior'of the turntable 5d and of the manner in which the articles G advance toward the opening station when the apparatus is in actual use. In FIG. 8, the cover 74 has been omitted for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 10 illustrates the foremost end or tip of the wedgeshaped portion 72 whose upper side is flush with the top face of the wall 51 and which guided the article G as soon as the latter begins to leave the confines of the turntable 50. As shown in FIG. 11, the width of the wedge shaped portion 72 first increases in the direction of forward movement of the article G and this article is now guided in a channel formed by the

parts

74, 69, 68, 72 and 73 so that it shoots toward the opening station at the speed of the belt 52. The portion 73 of the guide member 71 also resembles a wedge (see particularly FIG. 8) and its tip is located to the left of the article G so that the latter must enter the aforementioned channel and travels toward the opening

disks

55, 56. The width of the portion 73 increases at the same rate at which the belt 52 is twisted so that the width of the channel for the article G remains substantially unchanged. It will be noted that the portion 73 is located at a level above the portion 72.

FIG. 12 illustrates the article G in a further position during its advance toward the opening station whereby the article is guided by the vertical side face of the portion 73, by the horizontal upper side of the portion 72, 'by the belt portion 75 (which is still inclined with reference to a horizontal plane), by the extension of the cover 74, and by the spring 68. The

portions

72, 73 of the guide member 71 may but need not form an integral unit. At this point, the width of the portion 72 already decreases (see FIG. 8) but the width of the portion 73 continues to increase all the way to the plane of FIG. 13 wherein the width of the portion 72 is almost zero and wherein the plane of the belt portion 75 is almost horizontal. The guide member 71 further comprises a supporting portion 76 which extends beneath the belt portion 75 and which is rigid with the portion 73 to form therewith a substantially U-shaped body best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The supporting portion 76 is secured to the carrier 66, and the left-hand vertical face 77 of the portion 73 is of arcuate shape (see FIG. 8) having its center of a curvature on the axis of the turntable 50. Thus, the portion 73 of the guide member 71 forms a collar which prevents outward movement of such articles G which remain in the interior of the turntable, i.e., the portion 73 actually constitutes a deflecting element and serves the purpose mentioned in connection with FIGS. 6a-7b. A further deflecting element 78 is mounted past the portion 73 (see FIG. 8) and serves to guide the articles in an arc of nearly 180 degrees and onto the other stringer of the belt 52 so that the articles which were prevented from entering the channel between the guide portion 73 and belt portion69 will have to complete one or more revolutions prior to being discharged from the interior of the turntable 50. The arcuate surface at the inner side of the deflecting member 78 is concentric with and constitutes a continuation of the face 77.

FIG. 14 shows that, at the time it approaches the opening station, an article G is controlled solely by the portion 73 of the guide member 71 and by the belt portion 75. At this point, the wall 51 of the turntable 50 is spaced from the article which latter is about to be engaged by the marginal portions of the opening disks 55,

56. The belt portion 75 is located immediately ahead of the horizontal belt portion 54.

The spring 68 abuts against the

belt portions

69, 75 and is actually flexed by the belt 52 so that it is maintained under at least some tension. A properly guided article G need not come in actual contact with the cover 74 and/ or spring 68 but is controlled solely by the guide member 71 and belt 52. The extension of the cover 74 terminates slightly ahead of the opening

disks

55, 56 so that each consecutive article is properly guided all the way to its advance past the opening station.

The operation of the apparatus embodying the structure shown in FIGS. 814 is analogous to that of the apparatus vwhich was described in connection with FIGS. 6a-7b. In fact, all structures shown in FIGS. 814 is normally embodied in the apparatus of FIGS. 6a-7b to make sure that a single file of defective articles is properly guided toward and past the opening station A.

An apparatus which embodies the improved opening member or members and the improved centrifugal aligning device 119 or 50 with the guide means shown in FIGS. 9-14 is capable of aligning and opening defective cigarettes at a very high speed and without waste so that a single apparatus sufiices to recover tobacco from detfective cigarettes or groups of cigarettes which are discharged from a battery of cigarette machines.

The channel defined by the guide member 71 and belt 52 will straighten a crumpled article to make sure that the Wrapper .will be ripped open along the full length thereof. The

disks

55, 56 also contribute to such straightening of the articles.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a method of recovering tobacco fillers from cigarettes wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper of cigarette paper, the steps of advancing a cigarette endwise past an opening station; applying against the exterior of the wrapper a gradually varying dual pressure acting radially inwardly to form in the paper an invented ridge with an imperforate continuous crest extending in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette, and laterally ou-tward-ly and just suflicient to tear the paper along the crest while the cigarette advances past said opening station, said pressure being such that the particles of tobacco which form the filler are not comminuted during tearing of the wrapper; and supporting the cigarette during the application of said dual pressure and only in a zone located substantially opposite that portion of the wrapper to which the pressure is applied.

2. In a method of recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, the steps of advancing an article endwise past an opening station; applying against the exterior of the wrapper la gradually varying inwardly directed first pressure acting substantially radially of the article to form an inverted ridge having two mutually inclined edge portions which meet along an imperforate crest extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the article; immediately applying to the edge portions a gradually varying laterally outwardly directed external second pressure which act-s substantially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the article and which is strong enough to tear the wrapper along the imperforate crest of the ridge and to spread the thus separated edge portions of the wrapper while the article advances past said opening station whereby the wrapper exposes the tiller; and supporting the articles during the application of said pressures and only in a zone located substantially opposite that portion of the wrapper to which the pressures are applied.

3. In a method of recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, the steps of advancing an article endwise past an opening station; applying against the exterior of the wrapper a gradually varying inwardly directed first pressure acting substantial-1y radially inwardly of the article to form an inwardly extending inverted ridge having two mutually inclined edge portions which meet along an i mperforate crest extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the article; immediately applying to the outer sides of the edge portions a gradually varying laterally outwardly directed external second pressure which acts substantially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the article and which is strong enough to tear the wrapper along the impcrfiorate crest of the ridge and to spread the thus separated edge portions of the wrapper while the article advances past said opening station whereby the wrapper exposes the filler; and supporting the articles during the application of said pressures and only in a zone located substantially opposite that portion of the wrapper to which the pressures are applied.

4. In a method of recovering fillers from filter cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein more resistance portions alternate with less resistant portions and wherein less resistant portions comprise fillers surrounded by dry tubular wrappers, the steps of advancing an article endwise past an opening station; applying against the exterior of the article a substantially radially inwardly directed gradually varying pressure which is strong enough to form in the wrapper an inverted ridge having two mutually inclined edge portions integrally which meet in an imperforate continuous crest extending in the longitudinal direction of the article, said pressure being too weak to afiect the integrity of the more resistant portion of the article; applying to the edge portions a gradually varying laterally outwardly directed external second pressure acting substantially transversely of the longitudinal direction of the article and just strong enough to tear the wrapper substantially along said crest so as to spread the wrapper while the article advances past said opening l3 station; and supporting the articles during the application of said pressures and only in a zone located substantially opposite that portion of the wrapper to which the pressures are applied.

5. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, in combination, conveyor means comprising a substantially flat portion arranged to advance the articles in a single file endwise in an elongated path; and opening means including a pair of opening members adjacent to said path opposite said flat portion and having article engaging portions whose minimum distance from said conveyor means is less than the diameter of an article so that said opening members compress the articles radially inwardly to form in each consecutive wrapper an inverted ridge having two inclined edge portions which meet along an imperforate continuous crest extending in the longitudinal direction of the respective article, said article engaging portions being divergent in the direction of advance of the articles in said path so as to exert upon the edge portions a laterally outwardly directed pressure acting substantially at right angles to the longitudinal directions of the articles and strong enough to tear the wrappers substantially along the crests of the respective ridges, each of said opening members having means for increasing friction between said article engaging portions and the wrappers.

is. in an apparatus for recovering fillers from rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, in combination, means for advancing the articles endwise. including a substantially flat portion which supports the articles; and rotary pressure means adjacent to advancing articles opposite said flat portion and having a portion provided with friction generating means arranged to subject the exterior of the wrappers to \a gradually varying dual pressure acting radially inwardly to first form a continuously integral imperforate crease and then later-ally outwardly just suflicient to tear the wrapper material at the crease whereby the wrappers expose the fillers as the respective articles advance past said opening means.

7. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, in combination, a conveyor arranged to advance the articles in a single file endwise in an elongated path, said conveyor comprising a substantially flat portion located in a predetermined plane; and opening means comprising a pair of flexible opening members located opposite said flat portion and disposed mirror symmetrically with reference to a second plane which passes through the axes of the articles and is perpendicular to said predetermined plane, said opening members having article engaging portions abutting each other and whose distance from said conveyor is less than the diameter of an article so that the articles are compressed and said article engaging portions tear the wrappers longitudinally while the respective articles advance past said opening means, said opening members being flexed in response to abutment of said article engaging portions and said article engaging portions being located in said second plane.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein said opening members are rotary disks and wherein said article engaging portions are the marginal portions of said disks.

9. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the tiller is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, in combination, a conveyor arranged to advance the articles in a single file endwise in an elongated path, said conveyor comprising a substantially flat portion located in a predetermined plane; opening means comprising a pair of flexible opening members located opposite said flat portion and disposed mirror symmetrically with with reference to a second plane which passes through the axes of the articles and is perpendicular to said predetermined plane, said opening members having article engaging portions abutting each other and whose distance from said conveyor is less than the diameter of an article so that the articles are compressed and said article engaging portions tear the wrappers longitudinally while the respective articles advance past said opening means, said opening members being flexed in response to abutment of said article engaging portions and said article engaging portions being located in said second plane; and adjusting means for varying the distance between said portion of said conveyor and said article engaging portions.

10. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper, in combination, conveyor means arranged to advance the articles in a single file and comprising a pair of deflecting rollers rotatable about vertical axes, means for driving at least one of said deflecting rollers, and an endless flexible element trained around said deflecting rollers and including a stringer extending between said deflecting rollers and being twisted substantially through 180 degrees so that an intermediate portion of said stringer travels in a substantially horizontal plane, the articles being arranged to advance endwise along said stringer and on said intermediate portion thereof; and opening means located above said intermediate portion and comprising an article engaging portion located at such distance from said intermediate portion that said opening means compresses the articles and tears the wrappers longitudinally while the articles advance with said intermediate portion whereby the wrappers expose the fillers.

Jill. A combination as set forth in claim 10, wherein said flexible element is a belt.

1 2. A combination as set forth in claim 10, wherein said opening means comprises a rotary disk and wherein said article engaging portion is the marginal portion of said disk, said apparatus further comprising drive means including a rotary driving member coaxially secured to one of said deflecting rollers, a rotary driven member coaxially secured to said disk, and an endless flexible element trained around said driving and driven members to rotate said disk in response to rotation of said deflecting rollers.

13. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, in combination, a conveyor arranged to advance the articles in a single file endwise in an elongated path, said conveyor comprising a substantially flat portion located in a predetermined plane; and opening means comprising a pair of rotary disks located opposite said flat portion and disposed in two planes which make an acute angle and are mirror symmetrical with reference to a plane perpendicular to said predetermined plane and passing through the taxes of articles on said portion of said conveyor, said disks having article engaging marginal portions whose minimal distance from said portion of said conveyor is less than the diameter of an article so that said disks compress the articles to form in the wrappers inverted ridges with continuous impertorate crests extending in the longitudinal direction of the articles and to tear the wrappers along such imperforate crests as the articles advance with said portion of said conveyor, said opening means further comprising a shaft for each of said disks and each disk being freely rotatable on the respective shaft so that the disks rotate in response to engagement with consecutive articles.

14. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from cig 'arettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, in combination, a conveyor arranged to advance the articles in a single file endwise in an elongated path, said conveyor comprising a substantially flat portion located in a predetermined plane; and opening means comprising -a pair of rotary disks located opposite said fiat portion and disposed in .two planes which make an acute angle and are mirror symmetrical with reference to a plane perpendicular to said predetermined plane and passing through the axes of articles on said portion of said conveyor, said disks having article engaging marginal portions whose minimal distance from said portion of said conveyor is less than the diameter of an article so that said disks compress the articles to form in the wrappers inverted ridges with continuous imperforate crests extending in the longitudinal direction of the articles and to tear the wrappers along such imperforate crests as the articles advance with said portion of said conveyor, said disks being rotatable about axes which cross in space over the axes of articles on said portion of said conveyor.

15. In anappara-tus for recovering tillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper, in combination, a centrifugal aligning device including a hollow cylindrical wall; means for rotating said aligning device about a vertical axis; a source of defective articles; su ply means for delivering articles into said aligning device whereby the articles rotate and are subjected to the action of centrifugal force which moves them upwardly along said hollow wall; a conveyor comprising a belt trained around and having an upper portion extending beyond said hollow wall so that the articles moving upwardly along said wall are entrained by and form a single file which mom es endwise with said belt; and opening means comprising an opening member having an article engaging portion located at such distance from said belt that the articles are compressed by and that said article engaging portion tears the wrappers of consecutive articles on said belt.

16. A combination as set forth in claim 15, wherein said belt comprises a stringer extending substantially tangentially with reference to said wall and arranged to advance the articles endwise tfrom said aligning means, and further comprising guide means adjacent to said stringer and located ahead of said opening means for guiding the articles toward said article engaging portion.

.17. In an apparatus for recovering fillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper, in combination, a centrifugal aligning device comprising a dishshaped turntable having an upwardly extending cylindrical wall; means for rotating said turn-table about a vertical axis; a source of defective articles; supply means including a variable speed motor for delivering articles from said source into said turntable whereby the articles rotate and are subjected to the action of centrifugal force which moves them upwardly along said wall; sensing means extending into said turntable and arranged to produce impulses indicative of the quantity of defective articles in said turntable; means tfOl' adjusting said motor in response to such impulses; conveyor means for advancing articles endwise from said well along an elongated path; and opening means comprising an opening member having an article engaging portion located at such distance from said conveyor means that the articles are compressed by and that said article engaging portion tears the wrappers of articles advancing in said path past said opening means.

.1 8. A combination as set forth in claim 17, wherein said source is a magazine which delivers defective articles by gravity feed and wherein said supply means comprises a supply belt which is driven by said motor.

-19. A combination as set forth in claim 18, wherein said supply means further comprises a duct which con- 1.6 'veys defective articles from said supply belt into said turntable, and a suction generating device connected with said duct to withdraw therefrom all such particulate matter whose weight is substantially less than the weight of an article.

20. An apparatus for recovering fillers from defective cigarettes and similar rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a tubular wrapper, comprising a centrifugal aligning device including a hollow cylindrical wall; means for rotating said aligning device about a vertical axis; a source of defective articles; supply means for delivering articles into said aligning device whereby the articles rotate and are subjected to the action of centrifugal force which moves them upwardly along said hollow wall; a conveyor comprising a belt trained around and having an upper portion extending beyond said hollow wall so -that the articles moving upwardly along said wall are entrained by and form a single file which moves endwise with said belt; opening means comprising an opening member having an article engaging portion located at such distance from said belt that the articles are compressed by and that said article engaging portion tears the wrappers of consecutive articles on said belt; and separator means located past said opening means for separating the fillers from the remainders of the articles.

2 1. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein said separator means comprises a plurality of separators including at least one mechanical separator.

22. An apparatus for recovering fillers from rod shaped articles wherein the filler is surrounded by a dry tubular wrapper, comprising means for advancing the articles endwise and comprising a substantially flat portion for supporting the advancing articles; opening means adjacent to advancing articles opposite said fiat portion and arranged to subject the exterior of the wrappers to a gradually varying dual pressure acting radially inwardly to first form an inverted ridge with a continuously integral imperforate crest and then later-ally outwardly just sutficient to tear the wrapper material along the imperforate crest whereby the wrappers expose the fillers as the respective articles advance past said opening means; and separator means for separating the fillers from the remainders of the articles, said separator means being located past said opening means as seen in the direction in which the articles advance.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,758,800 5/1930 Molins 13l-96 2,002,142 5/1935 Gibson et a1 13196 2,693,808 11/1954 Kochalski et al 131-96 2,701,569 2/1955 Fellmann 131% 2,938,521 :5/1960 Lanore 13184 X 2,983,275 5/1961 Volckers 131-21 3,074,414 1/1963 Dearsley 13121 X FOREIGN PATENTS 31,425 1/ 1908 Austria. 451,261 10/1927 Germany. 325,705 2/ 1930 Great Britain. 381,154 9/1932 Great Britain. 711,343 6/1954 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Kristinus, Germany 1,035,035, application printed July 24, 1958 (KL 7% 15/10) (4 shts. dwg, 3 pp. spec.)

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A METHOD OF RECOVERING TOBACCO FILLERS FROM CIGARETTES WHEREIN THE FILLER IS SURROUNDED BY A DRY TUBULAR WRAPPER OF CIGARETTE PAPER, THE STEPS OF ADVANCING A CIGARETTE ENDWISE PAST AN OPENING STATION; APPLYING AGAINST THE EXTERIOR OF THE WRAPPER AN GRADUALLY VARYING DUAL PRESSURE ACTING RADIALLY INWARDLY TO FORM IN THE PAPER AN INVERTED RIDGE WITH AN IMPERFORATE CONTINUOUS CREST EXTENDING IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE CIGARETTE, AND LATERALLY OUTWARDLY AND JUST SUFFICIENT TO TEAR THE PAPER ALONG THE CREST WHILE THE CIGARETTE ADVANCES PAST SAID OPENING STATION, SAID PRESSURE BEING SUCH THAT THE PARTICLES OF TOBACCO WHICH FORM THE FILLER ARE NOT COMMUNUTED FURING TEARING OF THE WRAPPER; AND SUPPORTING THE CIGARETTE DURING THE APPLICATION OF SAID DUAL PRESSURE AND ONLY A ZONE LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THAT PORTION OF THE WRAPPER TO WHICH THE PRESSURE IS APPLIED.