Tobacco – Cigar or cigarette making – Including cooperating surfaces to induce rolling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-08
2003-04-08
Griffin, Steven P. (Department: 1731)
Tobacco
Cigar or cigarette making
Including cooperating surfaces to induce rolling
C131S035000, C131S058000, C131S069000, C131S905000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543457
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES
The present application claims the priority of the commonly owned copending German patent application Serial. No. 100 28 000.5 filed Jun. 8, 2000. The disclosure of the above-referenced German patent application, as well as that of each US and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for applying an adhesive substance, such as a hotmelt, to selected portions or sections of one side of a running web or strip of paper or other wrapping material in a machine wherein the web is converted into a continuous or discontinuous tubular wrapper or envelope surrounding a rod-shaped filler. A presently preferred application of the improved method is in machines which are designed to turn out filter mouthpieces for tobacco stoke, filter cigarettes, plain cigarettes and similar rod-shaped smokers' products.
It is customary to provide a web of cigarette paper or so-called tipping paper (sections of a web consisting of tipping paper are provided with longitudinally spaced-apart patterns of perforations for admission of atmospheric air into the tobacco smoke flowing from the lighted end of a filter cigarette, cigar or cigarillo to the mouth of the smoker) with films or layers of a suitable adhesive which bonds the marginal portions of a tube into a customary seam extending lengthwise of the smokers' product. The adhesive can also serve to bond the converted (finite) length of the web to the fragments of tobacco and/or to the normally fibrous filter material for tobacco smoke. The leader of the web is repeatedly severed upon completion of the application of adhesive to non-perforated portions of the leader to yield uniting bands which are convoluted around a filter mouthpiece and around the adjacent end portion(s) of one or two filter cigarettes to form therewith a filter cigarette of unit length or a filter cigarette of double unit length.
It is also known to provide a filter cigarette making machine (also called tipping machine) with a sensor which monitors the positions of adhesive patterns and generates signals serving to carry out or to initiate certain adjustments of the detected positions of the patterns of perforations (or of inidicia or markers denoting the positions of such patterns and being applied to the running webs) when the monitored positions; depart from the desired or preselected or required or optimum positions. Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,292 (granted Apr. 7, 1998 to Draghetti for “METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FILTER TIP BANDS FOR VENTILATED CIGARETTES”) which describes and shows an apparatus for and discloses a method of applying adhesive films to non-perforated portions of running webs of tipping paper for use in filter cigarette making machines.
The patent to Draghetti discloses two embodiments of the aforesaid method. Each embodiment provides for a monitoring of the relationship between the angular position of a rotary drum-shaped adhesive applicator and the angular position of a rotary carrier for the knife or knives serving to sever the leader of the web upon completion of the application of adhesive to the foremost (not yet separated) uniting band. Any departures of the location of detected perforated zone from the desired or required location are compensated for by changing the angular position of the rotary knife carrier and/or by changing the extent of movement of the web between the adhesive applicator and the severing unit.
A drawback of the just discussed proposal of Draghetti is that a correction of the positions of adhesive-coated section relative to the locations of cuts across the web necessitates a change of the positions of adhesive-coated sections relative to the perforated patterns and vice versa. This involves the utilization of additional sensor means and the utilization of one or more additional control unit or units for the processing of signals being transmitted by additional sensors with attendant additional costs and increased space requirements of the patented apparatus, Furthermore, the patent to Draghetti does not, describe and/or illustrate such additional equipment including the sensor or sensors and the control circuits which would be capable of processing the signals furnished by the additional sensor(s). Therefore, and to the best of applicants' knowledge and belief, the patented proposal has failed to gain widespread acceptance in the tobacco processing industry.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved method which is not only simpler but also more reliable than heretofore known methods in that it facilitates the establishment of a long-lasting optimum relationship between the perforated pattern or patterns and the adhesive-coated portion or portions of each of a short or long series of uniting bands.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method which renders it possible to operate with a single control unit for signals being supplied by the sensors for various parameters requiring consideration in connection with the application of adhesive to uniting bands for use in filter cigarette making and analogous machines employing filter mouthpieces having tubular envelopes provided with patterns of perforation for the admission of atmospheric air.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a method which can be practiced by resorting to apparatus employing novel combinations of available components.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for the practice of the above outlined method.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can be installed in existing filter tipping machines and other machines for the processing of running webs which are made of paper or the like and must exhibit accurately distributed adhesive bearing sections and uncoated sections.
A further object of this invention is to provide a filter tipping machine which embodies the above outlined apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved filter cigarettes or analogous smokers' products.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination of adhesive applying, conveying, severing ad synchronizing means for use in filter tipping machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a method of manipulating an elongated web of wrapping material (such as a web of tipping paper of the character utilized in many filter cigarette making machines) having a succession of longitudinally spaced-apart first sections (such first sections can be perforated, either entirely or in part) separated from each other by successive second sections which are to be at least partially coated with a flowable substance (such as a hotmelt or another suitable adhesive substance). The improved method comprises the steps of advancing the web lengthwise in a predetermined direction, along a predetermined path and at a predetermined speed, monitoring at least one first portion of the path and generating first signals at a first frequency denoting the detection of successive first sections, severing the web across successive second sections of the web in a second portion of the path downstream of (i.e., following) the first portion of the path to thus convert the web into a series of successive bands having predetermined lengths, scanning a third portion of the path downstream of the first portion to detect successive bands and generating a series of second signals at the frequency of detection of successive bands, comparing the first signals with the second signals to detect differences (if any) between the phases and/or other characteristics of the first and second signals, and temporarily altering the speed of the web when the comparing step indicates a phase difference exceedin
Maiwald Berthold
Mörke Torsten
Pawelko Karl-Heinz
Anderson Chad C.
Hauni Maschinenbau AG
Kinberg Robert
Lopez Carlos
Venable LLP
LandOfFree
Apparatus for applying adhesive to a running web of wrapping... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for applying adhesive to a running web of wrapping..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for applying adhesive to a running web of wrapping... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3008554