Tobacco – Cigar or cigarette making – Tip or mouthpiece applying or forming
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-10-16
Silverman, Stanley S. (Department: 1731)
Tobacco
Cigar or cigarette making
Tip or mouthpiece applying or forming
C131S027100, C131S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302113
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES
This application claims the priority of German patent application Serial No. 198 47 337.0 filed Oct. 14, 1998. The disclosure of the German patent application, as well as that of each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application mentioned in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for connecting rod-shaped commodities end-to-end, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus which can be utilized with advantage as filter tipping machines wherein successive groups or arrays each consisting of two or more rod-shaped smokers' products are joined end-to-end by so-called uniting bands, such as adhesive-coated pieces or patches of cigarette paper, artificial cork or other forms or types of so-called tipping paper.
It is well known to make filter cigarettes of unit length by placing a plain cigarette of unit length end-to-end with a filter mouthpiece of unit length and by thereupon connecting the two rod-shaped articles to each other by means of a uniting band which is convoluted around a portion of or around the entire filter mouthpiece as well as around the adjacent end portion of the plain cigarette. Pairs of filter cigarettes of unit length can be produced by placing a filter mouthpiece of double unit length between two plain cigarettes of unit length, by draping an adhesive-coated uniting band around the entire mouthpiece and around the neighboring end portions of the two plain cigarettes, and by thereupon severing the resulting filter cigarette of double unit length midway across the tubular wrapper, i.e., midway across the converted uniting band.
Similar or identical procedures and apparatus can be resorted to for the making of filter cigars, cigarillos or other types of filter tipped smokers' products.
The making of filter cigarettes having an elliptical cross-sectional outline (i.e., of the so-called oval cigarettes) is analogous, except that the apparatus or units for draping uniting bands around groups of neighboring oval plain cigarettes and filter mouthpieces having elliptical cross-sectional outlines are somewhat more complex because the draping unit of such filter tipping machine must cause the elongated oval cigarettes and the aligned oval filter mouthpieces to roll about their respective longitudinal axes by resorting to a more complex wrapping or rolling mechanism. Reference may be had to published German patent application Serial No. 195 07 395 A and to the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,285 granted May 27, 1997 to Dahlgrün for “APPARATUS FOR MAKING FILTER TIPPED SMOKERS' PRODUCTS HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL OUTLINE”.
The '285 patent to Dahlgrün discloses a filter tipping machine wherein successive groups or arrays of plain oval cigarettes and oval filter mouthpieces are admitted into an arcuate rolling channel between the peripheral surface (first rolling surface) of a rotary drum-shaped first rolling member and a second rolling surface provided on a stationary or mobile second rolling member. A stationary strip- or rail-shaped device is provided at the inlet of the rolling channel to ensure or to render it more likely that all constituents of the arrays or groups entering the rolling channel by moving sideways are compelled to begin to turn about their own axes simultaneously and immediately upon entering the inlet of the rolling channel. This ensures, among other advantages, that each uniting band is more reliably convoluted around the abutting ends of rod-shaped commodities (oval cigarettes and oval filter mouthpieces) during travel of successive groups or arrays through a relatively short rolling channel. In most instances, a filter tipping machine is designed to make successive pairs of filter cigarettes by assembling rod-shaped groups or arrays in each of which a filter mouthpiece of double unit length is placed between and is connected, end-to-end, with the neighboring end portions of two plain cigarettes (oval or cylindrical) of unit length.
The purpose of the aforementioned stationary strip- or rail-shaped device (which may but need not be affixed to the second rolling member) is to considerably enhance the likelihood of the establishment of a properly configurated (eye-pleasing) and at least substantially impervious seal between the abutting filter mouthpiece and plain cigarette or cigarettes. This is accomplished by the aforementioned expedient that the strip- or rail-shaped device ensures that the rolling of all constituents of each group or array entering the rolling channel begins at the same time.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus which is even more reliable than the patented apparatus of Dahlgrün, particularly as concerns the treatment of the rod-shaped constituents and the adhesive-coated uniting band(s) of a group during and immediately subsequent to entry into the rolling channel.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, such as a filter tipping machine, which is particularly suited for predictable making of short or long series of eye-pleasing and properly assembled oval cigarettes.
A further object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with novel and improved means for controlling the movements of successive groups or arrays of coaxial rod-shaped constituents and one or more uniting bands in the region of the aforediscussed strip- or rail-shaped rotation initiating and synchronizing device at the inlet of the rolling channel in apparatus of the type disclosed in the '285 patent to Dahlgrün.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of making high-quality oval filter cigarettes.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can be installed in, and/or can form part of, new filter tipping machines as well as in existing filter tipping machines for all kinds of filter-tipped smokers' products including oval cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and the like.
A further object of the invention is to construct, assemble, configurate and finish various group-contacting constituents of a filter tipping machine in such a way that their influence upon the movements and/or other parameters of groups or arrays of rod-shaped articles in a filter tipping or an analogous machine does not change, or does not change appreciably, in response to wear on continuous extensive use of a filter tipping or an analogous machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, such as a filter tipping machine, which can turn out high-quality products (such as filter tipped cigarettes having an elliptical cross-sectional outline) at a rate required in a modern high-speed production line.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of finishing the product-contacting surface or surfaces of one or more constituents of the above outlined apparatus in such a way that, where and/or when required, the surface or surfaces cannot slip relative to the product or products and vice versa.
Still another object of the invention is to provide rod-shaped products which are produced in accordance with the method and/or in the apparatus of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is embodied in an apparatus for making filter cigarettes or analogous products by connecting to each other rod-shaped commodities which form groups of aligned (particularly coaxial) commodities having neighboring end portions connectable to each other by adherent (i.e., adhesive-coated) uniting bands (such as bands made of cigarette paper, artificial cork or other tipping paper) to be convoluted around the neighboring end portions. The improved apparatus comprises a mobile rolling member having a first rolling surface, and a second rolling member having a second rolling surface defining with the first rolling surface a rolling channel. The mobile rolling member is arranged to advance successive
Calvairac Robert
Ozeray Phileffe
Decouflés.a.r.l.
Kinberg Robert
Silverman Stanley S.
Spencer George H.
Venable
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