Tobacco – Cigar or cigarette making – Molding or forming
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2001-06-19
Silverman, Stanley S. (Department: 1731)
Tobacco
Cigar or cigarette making
Molding or forming
C131S077000, C131S078000, C131S084100, C131S085000, C131S084200, C425S174200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247475
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for compressing and molding a shredded tobacco or a filler stream before the filler stream is wrapped in wrapping paper in a cigarette manufacturing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a cigarette manufacturing machine, a suction band sucks and attracts shredded tobacco into a form of layer so that a filler stream is formed on the suction band, and then travels the filler stream to one direction. The filler stream is peeled off from the suction band, and then is transferred onto wrapping paper, and thus passes through a compression-molding passage together with the wrapping paper. In a process of passing through the compression-molding passage, the filler stream is compressed and molded into a predetermined shape. Thereafter, the filler stream is wrapped in the wrapping paper, and then a tobacco rod is continuously formed. In the compression-molding passage, the compression-molding for the filler stream is significant in order to wrap the filler stream in the wrapping paper after that, that is, to stably formed the tobacco rod.
The formed tobacco rod is cut into individual cigarette rods having a predetermined length. The individual cigarette rods have a length twice as much as the cigarette portion of a filter-tipped cigarette. When the cigarette rod are supplied to a filter attachment, two filter-tipped cigarettes are manufactured from individual cigarette rods.
As shown in Japanese Utility Model Kokoku 62-33588 (27-8-1987), the aforementioned compression-molding passage is defined between a forming bed for guiding a travel of wrapping paper and a so-called tongue. The tongue has a shoe for peeling the filler stream from the suction band at its distal edge.
The tongue is a fixed member. Thus, in the case where the filler stream passes through the compression-molding passage, the tongue is a large resistance to the filler stream. For this reason, the shredded tobacco in the filler stream is easy to be broken by the tongue, and further the velocity of the filler stream fluctuates when passing through the compression-molding passage. The aforementioned breakage of the shredded tobacco and the velocity fluctuation of the filler stream are a factor of irregularly generating a hard spot and a soft spot relative to a filling density of the shredded tobacco in the filler stream. More specifically, the hard spot is a portion where the filling density is higher than a standard value; on the other hand, the soft spot is a portion where the filling density is lower than the standard value.
The hard spot in the filler stream causes filler stream jam in the compression-molding passage, and is a factor of causing a stoppage of the cigarette manufacturing machine. In the cigarette manufacturing machine, there is a tendency for the aforementioned filler stream jam to be frequently caused when forming a tobacco rod for a new brand cigarette or a different brand cigarettes.
On the other hand, when cutting the tobacco rod to obtain cigarette rod, there is the possibility that the soft spot in the filler stream exists in cut ends of the cigarette rod. In such a case, the shredded tobacco is easy to drop from the cut ends of the cigarette rod and a cut end of the filter-tipped cigarette.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a compression-molding device for a filler stream, which can prevent the filler stream from being jammed in a compression-molding passage, and can make uniform a filling density of a shredded tobacco filled in a tobacco rod.
The above object is achieved by a compression-molding device of the present invention. The compression-molding device includes a molding surface for defining a part of a compression-molding passage for passing a filler stream, and vibration means for vibrating the molding surface.
When the filler stream passes through the compression-molding passage, the molding surface is in a vibrating state. The vibration of the molding surface greatly reduces a coefficient of kinetic friction between the molding surface and the filler stream, so that the filler stream can be compressed and molded while smoothly passing through the compression-molding passage. Therefore, it is possible to greatly restrict breakage of the shredded tobacco in the compression-molding passage and a velocity fluctuation of the filler stream, so that the aforementioned hard spots and soft spots can be effectively prevented from being generated. As a result, the filler stream is prevented from being jammed in the compression-molding passage, therefore, the rate of operation of the cigarette manufacturing machine can be improved. Further, it is possible to improve a quality of the tobacco rod, that is, cigarette rods manufactured in the cigarette manufacturing machine.
The vibration means comprises an ultrasonic vibration system. The system includes an ultrasonic vibrator having a vibration surface, and a horn in which a vibration from the vibration surface of the vibrator is propagated. The horn has a molding surface. In the case where the molding surface is vibrated by an ultrasonic wave, amplitude of the vibration of the molding surface can be smaller restricted. Thus, even if a velocity of the filler stream is made high, the molding surface does not become a great resistance to the passage of filler stream.
A vibrating direction of the molding surface by the ultrasonic wave may be any of a direction intersecting an axis of the compression-molding passage or an axial direction of the compression-molding passage.
In the case where the molding surface is vibrated to the direction intersecting an axis of the compression-molding passage, a distance L
1
between the vibration surface of the ultrasonic vibrator and the molding surface is obtained by the following equation.
L
1
=n·
(&lgr;/2)
where &lgr; is a wavelength of vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator, and n is an integer.
In this case, the molding surface is located at an antinode of the ultrasonic vibration, and can vibrate with the greatest amplitude.
In the case where the molding surface is vibrated to the axial direction of the compression-molding passage, when viewing from a passing direction of the filler stream, a distance L
2
between the vibration surface of the ultrasonic vibrator and a downstream end of the molding surface, and a distance L
3
between the vibration surface of the ultrasonic vibrator and an upstream end of the molding surface are respectively obtained by the following equations.
L
2
=&lgr;/4+
i·
(&lgr;/2)
L
3
=&lgr;/4+
j·
(&lgr;/2)
where i and j are each an integer, and have a relation of j>i.
In this case, the downstream end of the molding surface functions as a nodal point of the ultrasonic vibration. Therefore, the vibration of the molding surface gives fluidity toward the downstream end of the molding surface to the shredded tobacco contacting with the downstream side portion of the molding surface. This fluidity of the shredded tobacco serves to effectively prevent the filler stream from being jammed in the compression-molding passage.
Meanwhile, if a position of the upstream end of the molding surface is set as L
3
, the upstream end of the molding surface can be formed as a scraper edge for peeling the filler stream from the suction band. In this case, the upstream end of the molding surface functions as a nodal point; therefore, the vibration of the molding surface does not affect the suction band.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific example, while indicating preferred embodiment of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various change and modification within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4729387 (1988-03-01), Steiniger et al.
pat
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Japan Tobacco Inc.
Silverman Stanley S.
Walls Dionne A.
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