Tobacco – Cigar or cigarette making – Tobacco feeding
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-30
2001-01-09
Derrington, James (Department: 1731)
Tobacco
Cigar or cigarette making
Tobacco feeding
C131S108000, C131S109300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170489
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES
This application claims the priority of German patent application Serial No. 197 52 717.5 filed Nov. 28, 1997. The disclosure of the German patent application, as well as that of each patent mentioned in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to improvements in rod making machines of the tobacco processing industry, and more particularly to improvements in distributors (also called hoppers) which are utilized in machines for the making of cigarette rods, cigar rods or other types of tobacco-containing rods (hereinafter referred to as cigarete rod making machines) to draw tobacco particles from a magazine and to convert the withdrawn particles into one or more homogeneous streams ready to be trimmed, locally densified and/or otherwise treated or processed prior to conversion into one or more rod-like fillers each of which is ready to be draped into a web of cigarette paper. The resulting cigarette rod(s) is(are) subdivided into plain cigarettes of unit length or multiple unit length.
A distributor normally comprises a magazine which can receive batches of tobacco particles from one or more pneumatic conveyors, at least one elevator conveyor which draws smaller accumulations or batches of particles from the magazine, and an upright duct having an open top for reception of tobacco particles from the elevator conveyor and an open bottom above the carding at the periphery of a driven wheel which receives a continuous carpet of tobacco particles and cooperates with a so-called picker roller to convert the carpet into a shower of tobacco particles. Such particles are intercepted by an endless conveyor which forms a stream ready to be converted into the rod-like filler of a continuous cigarette rod. The homogeneousness or lack of homogeneousness of the carpet of tobacco particles influences the quality of the ultimate products, such as plain cigarettes or filter cigarettes.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,238 granted Apr. 23, 1991 to Heitmann for “APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING FIBROUS MATERIAL TO MACHINES FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCING A PLURALITY OF CIGARETTE RODS” discloses a distributor for the simultaneous making of two tobacco rods. The patented distributor employs several gates which are set up to promote the homogeneousness of the tobacco streams formed by the distributor. More specifically, the distributor is designed to enable the duct to effect a more uniform distribution of tobacco particles at the outlet which, in turn, enables the carding of the driven wheel to accumulate a superior (gap-free) carpet of tobacco particles. Such carpet is thereupon processed to form a plurality of discrete streams.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,124 granted Jul. 21, 1987 to Hinzmann et al. for “APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING PARTICLES OF TOBACCO OR FILTER MATERIAL” discloses a distributor with an upright duct the lower end of which includes oscillatable front and rear walls to thus enhance the quality of the carpet of tobacco particles being received and entrained by the carding at the periphery of the driven wheel beneath the duct. The front and rear walls of the lower end portion of the duct are oscillated in the direction of the axis of the rotary wheel.
British patent No. 477,986 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 2,113,514 to Ruau) discloses a tobacco feeding apparatus wherein the carding of the rotary wheel receives tobacco particles from a duct having a bottom portion with a pair of parallel walls which are oscillatable toward and away from each other.
The aforedescribed proposals have been found to bring about some improvements in the consistency of the carpet which is being drawn by the carding of the rotary wheel. However, such undertakings cannot invariably ensure the making of a high-quality (gap-free) carpet which can be converted into one or more homogeneous tobacco streams.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved distributor or hopper which can be utilized in a cigarette rod making machine to turn out a high-quality carpet of tobacco particles ready to be converted into one or more high-quality (homogeneous) tobacco streams.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved duct for use in the above outlined distributor as a superior substitute for conventional ducts.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of moving the duct relative to the carding of the rotary wheel in a distributor of the above outlined character.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a cigarette rod making machine which is constructed and assembled to turn out rod-shaped smokers' products of superior quality.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of converting an accumulation of tobacco particles into one or more homogeneous tobacco streams.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved distributor which can be combined with or incorporated in existing cigarette rod making or analogous machines.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved connection between discrete constituents of a duct in the distributor of a cigarette rod making machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is embodied in a distributor for particles of smokable material of the tobacco processing industry. The distributor comprises a duct having an article receiving inlet at a first level and a particle discharging outlet at a second level below the first level, a particle removing member (such as a driven roller or wheel) having a carding and being rotatable about a predetermined axis to thus advance the carding beneath and past the outlet of the duct, and means for oscillating at least the outlet of the duct in directions at least substantially transversely of the predetermined axis.
At least the inlet of the duct is or can be at least substantially vertical.
If the particle removing member is a roller or a wheel, the carding is carried by the periphery of such roller or wheel. The carding can include elongated projections (such as pins) which extend from the periphery of the roller or wheel and forwardly as seen in the direction of rotation of the roller or wheel.
The oscillating means can include means for moving the outlet back and forth along an at least substantially horizontal path; such path can be a straight path or an arcuate path.
The arrangement can be such that the inlet and the outlet of the duct are oscillatable in opposite directions about a common second axis which is located at a level between the first and second levels and is or can be at least substantially parallel to the predetermined axis. The inlet and the outlet of such duct can be rigidly connected to or of one piece with each other.
The duct can extend at least substantially radially of the predetermined axis.
Alternatively, the outlet of the duct can be located downstream of the apex of the aforementioned roller or wheel as seen in the direction of rotation of the particle removing member. It is often preferred to place the outlet into close or immediate proximity of the apex.
If the inlet is stationary, the inlet and the oscillatable outlet of the duct normally define a gap which is or can be at least partially closed or sealed by one or more shrouds or the like.
Furthermore, if the inlet is stationary, the oscillating means for the outlet can include means for moving the outlet back and forth along a path which has a trailing end and a leading end as seen in the direction of rotation of the particle removing member. The trailing end is or can be nearer to the predetermined axis than the leading end. Such path is or can be an at least substantially straight path.
The apparatus can further comprise means for oscillatably supporting the outlet of the duct; such supporting means can include one or more leaf springs. If the inlet of the duct is elongated, the leaf spring or springs can be inclined relative to such inlet.
For example, t
Hoppe Reinhard
Lindemann Rolf
Pinck Peter
Derrington James
Hauni Maschinenbau
Kinberg Robert
Spencer George H.
Venable
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