Feeding unit for feeding beads and device for manufacturing rods

Abstract

The object of the present invention is a feed unit and a rod manufacturing apparatus. The feed unit (21) for feeding beads (C) comprises: a supply channel (24) for feeding a stream of beads (C); a transfer wheel (26) provided with at least one transfer cavity (34); a pushing mechanism (25) comprising a holding cavity (29) and a pushing element (31), the holding cavity for receiving beads (C) from the supply channel (24), and the pushing element for individually transferring the beads (C) from the holding cavity (29) to the transfer wheel (26). The unit (21) is characterized in that the pushing element (31) has a pushing edge (32), and the pushing element is a rotating element with a horizontal axis of rotation (n). The pushing edge (32) is arranged to pass through the holding cavity (29) and the transfer channel (30) during rotation in order to push the beads (C) out of the holding cavity (29) and through the transfer channel (30) into the transfer cavity (34).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The object of the present invention is a feed unit for feeding beads and a device for manufacturing rods in the tobacco industry.

[0002] The present invention relates to feeding spherical or oval objects into rods, which are tobacco industry products or tobacco industry semi-finished products. For the sake of simplicity, such objects are hereinafter referred to as beads. Known products on the market are cigarettes, the filter part of which is provided with beads containing aromatic or odor substances. Such substances contained in the beads are released during the smoking process, or are released by squeezing the filter part before lighting a cigarette, causing the beads to be crushed. During the production process, the beads are placed into a continuous rod, which is cut into a plurality of rods, and the plurality of rods are cut into segments connected to other semi-finished products. Background Art

[0003] A difficult and very important problem is to supply individual beads to a machine forming a filter part at high speed in a manner that ensures that the beads are not damaged and high feeding efficiency is maintained, that is, each manufactured filter rod actually includes correctly placed beads.

[0004] In known bead feeders, tubes are used to feed beads to an area from which the beads are transferred to a bead delivery wheel, and the function of the wheel is to place the delivered beads into the filter material, between the fibers of the filter material, or between segments made of the filter material or other materials.

[0005] U.S. Patent 7,975,877 B2 discloses a bead feeder in which the bead feed unit is provided with a plurality of tubes that are radially connected to a cylindrical drum, the tubes rotate with the drum, and the beads are picked up by a bead transfer wheel from a cavity at the outlet of the tube by means of vacuum and then transferred to the bead delivery wheel.

[0006] Document WO 2009 / 071271 discloses a bead feeder in which the bead feed unit is provided with a passage that rotates with a drum, and after separating the lowermost bead from the bead above it using a fixed arcuate wedge-shaped end element, the bead is fed to the bead delivery wheel.

[0007] Document WO 2009 / 071272 discloses a similar bead feeder in which two plates having a plurality of openings and rotating relative to each other are used to feed the beads to the bead delivery wheel, and the beads are fed after aligning the corresponding openings exactly on top of each other.

[0008] Patent EP2617302B1 discloses a solution, in which beads are fed through a supply channel into a holding pocket, and after the beads are pushed out of the pocket by means of a cam, the beads are further transferred to a feed wheel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The object of the present invention is to develop an improved feed unit for feeding beads in a rod manufacturing device for application in devices of different configurations.

[0010] The object of the present invention is a feed unit for feeding beads, the feed unit comprising: a supply channel for feeding a stream of beads; a transfer wheel provided with at least one transfer pocket; a pushing mechanism comprising a holding pocket and a pushing element, the holding pocket for receiving the beads from the supply channel, and the pushing element for individually transferring the beads from the holding pocket to the transfer wheel. The unit according to the invention is characterized in that the pushing element has a pushing edge, and the pushing element is a rotating element with a horizontal axis of rotation, wherein the pushing edge is adapted to pass through the holding pocket and a transfer channel during rotation in order to push the beads out of the holding pocket and through the transfer channel into the transfer pocket.

[0011] The unit according to the invention is characterized in that the pushing element is a plate having a cylindrical surface.

[0012] The unit according to the invention is characterized in that the transfer channel tangentially leads to the transfer wheel.

[0013] The unit according to the invention is characterized in that at least one guide is provided along the movement path adjacent to the transfer pocket.

[0014] The unit according to the invention is characterized in that the guide on the supply channel side is in the form of two concentric circular surfaces.

[0015] The unit according to the invention is characterized in that the axis of rotation of the pushing element coincides with the axis of rotation of the transfer wheel.

[0016] The object of the present invention is also a device for manufacturing a plurality of rods from a continuous rod, the device being provided with: a filler material feed unit, a feed unit for feeding beads, a forming unit for forming the continuous rod, and a cutting head for cutting the continuous rod into individual rods, wherein the feed unit for feeding beads is provided with a feed wheel having a plurality of transport pockets for transferring the beads, and at least one feed unit according to the invention.

[0017] The feed unit according to the present invention ensures that each position of the beads is fully controlled on the path leading to the formed continuous rod after leaving the supply channel. In addition, the feed unit can be used in different configurations of the rod manufacturing equipment. Among them, the feed unit can be used to manufacture multiple rods with a continuous rod in which the beads are unevenly spaced apart. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The objects of the present invention are shown in the drawings in preferred embodiments, wherein:

[0019] Figures 1 to 4 A rod including various filling materials containing beads is shown,

[0020] Figure 5 A rod manufacturing apparatus in a first embodiment is shown,

[0021] Figure 6 A feed unit is shown,

[0022] Figure 7 and Figure 8 A feed unit is shown,

[0023] Figure 9 A cross-section of the guiding channel is shown,

[0024] Figure 10 A feed unit is shown,

[0025] Figure 11 A rod manufacturing apparatus in a second embodiment is shown, and

[0026] Figure 12 A rod manufacturing apparatus in a third embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figure 1 The exemplary filter rod R shown in cross-section includes four objects in the form of beads C located in the fibers F of the filter material. The beads C are placed along the axis k of the filter rod R and are centered with respect to the axis k. Figure 2 A filter rod R' is shown, which includes segments S1, S2 and beads C placed in the space between the segments. Figure 3 The filter rod R'' shown in includes segments S1, S2 and two types of beads C1 and C2 alternately located in the successive spaces between the segments.

[0028] Figure 5Shows an apparatus 1 for manufacturing a rod R from a continuous material strip 2 in a first embodiment. The material strip 2 comprises acetate fiber fed from a bale 3 of material. Alternatively, the material strip may be made of a different filling material in the form of tobacco, cellulose foil, paper or fibers with filtering properties (both smooth and corrugated). The apparatus 1 for manufacturing the rod R is provided with a feed unit 4 for feeding the material 2 (generally a filling material), where the material strip 2 is processed. The apparatus 1 includes a feed unit 5 arranged to feed beads C, a forming unit 6 and a cutting head 7. During the manufacturing process, the beads C, which are generally spherical objects, are placed within the material strip and will be located within the continuous rod CR after the continuous rod CR is formed in the forming unit 6, and after the continuous rod is cut by the cutting head 7, the beads C will be located within the individual rod R. The apparatus 1 includes: a guiding unit 8 for guiding the material strip and for preliminary material compression; a compression unit 9 for strip compression and for forming the continuous rod CR. During the forming process, the continuous rod CR is wrapped with a wrapping material P fed by a wrapping material feed unit 10. The apparatus 1 is provided with a forming unit 12 for finally shaping the continuous rod CR and for longitudinally gluing the continuous rod CR. The guiding unit 8, the compression unit 9 and the forming unit 12 together constitute a forming apparatus for forming the continuous rod CR.

[0029] Figure 6 Shows a feed apparatus 5 which includes a feed wheel 20 and five feed units 21 which feed the beads C into a transport cavity 22 located on the circumferential surface 23 of the feed wheel 20. The number of feed units depends on the number of beads to be placed within the continuous rod CR. As Figure 7 shown, the feed unit 21 includes: a supply channel 24, a pushing mechanism 25 and a transfer wheel 26 with a rotational axis m. The pushing mechanism 25 includes a body 27 which has the shape of a cylinder in the embodiment shown. In the body 27, on its side surface 28, a holding cavity 29 and a transfer channel 30 extending from the holding cavity 29 towards the transfer wheel 26 are located. The transfer channel 30 is diagonally located with respect to the generator of the body 27 and is tangent to the transfer wheel 26, and the transfer channel 30 is oriented in accordance with the rotational direction (indicated by an arrow) of the transfer wheel 26. The pushing mechanism 25 includes a movable pushing element 31 having a pushing edge 32. The pushing element 31 has the form of a plate which may be flat or may be shaped as a section of a cylindrical surface. The pushing element 31 is rotatably mounted so as to rotate about an axis n, and the pushing element 31 moves within a groove 33 formed in the body 27, which is also shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 shown. The rotational axis n of the pushing element 31 may overlap with the rotational axis m of the transfer wheel 26. The pushing element 31 moves at a speed v1. As Figure 7As shown, the rotation of the pushing element 31 causes the pushing edge 32 to pass through the holding cavity 29 and the transfer channel 30. The beads C fed from the supply channel 24 fall into the holding cavity 29. The movement of the pushing element 31 causes the pushing edge 32 to push the beads C out of the holding cavity 29, and the beads C are pushed through the transfer channel 30 towards the transfer wheel 26 to the transfer cavity 34. The pushing element 31 rotates, thereby transferring the beads C from the holding cavity 29 through the transfer channel 30 to the transfer cavity 34. The transfer wheel 26 may be provided with two transfer cavities 34, and the pushing mechanism 25 may be provided with two pushing elements 31. There may also be a greater number of transfer cavities 34 and pushing elements 31. The transfer cavity 34 moves at a speed v2, and the speed v2 may be equal to the speed v1. When the beads C are pushed out of the holding cavity 29 and the transfer channel 30, the speed v1 may temporarily be greater than the speed v2, resulting in shortening the time taken for the beads C to reach the transfer cavity 34.

[0030] While the beads C are being transferred downward to the transport cavity 22, the beads move in a circular path of the guiding channel 42 in the transfer cavity 34, which is formed by the surfaces 35 and 36, the ring 40, and the external guide 41 (the channel 42 is shown in cross-section in Figure 8 ; the guide 41 is not shown in Figure 7 and the ring 40 is shown by a broken line). On the circumferential surface 37 of the transfer wheel 26, there are also grooves 38 that pass through the transfer cavity 34. At the lower part of the transfer wheel 26, a scraper 39 in the form of a flat element is positioned and inserted into the grooves 38. The function of the scraper 39 is to push the beads C out of the transfer cavity 34 and push them to the transport cavity 22 of the feed wheel 20.

[0031] In Figure 6In the feed unit 5, in the first feed unit 21 and the third feed unit 21", the transfer wheel 26 is located at a position before the transport cavity 22 that feeds the beads C from the transfer cavity 34 to the feed wheel 20. In the second feed unit 21' and the fourth feed unit 21'", the transfer wheel 26 is located at a position after the transport cavity 22 that feeds the beads C from the transfer wheel 34 to the feed wheel 20. In the fifth feed unit 21"", the transfer wheel 26 is located at a position just after feeding the beads C into the transfer cavity 34. During the rotation of the feed wheel 20, successive transport cavities 22 are filled with the beads C so as to fill all the cavities 22 of the feed wheel 20. For each feed unit 21, the scraper 39 can take different positions, and the length of the outer guide 41 must be selected accordingly. One or different types of beads C can be supplied to the corresponding feed unit 21. In the case where it is necessary to manufacture a rod including beads that are unevenly spaced, the transport cavities 22 must be unevenly spaced on the circumference of the feed wheel 20. The feed units 21 can be spaced apart around the feed wheel 20 at uneven intervals.

[0032] Figure 10 The feed unit is shown, in which the body 27' has a smaller diameter than the transfer wheel 26. The pushing element 31' in the pushing mechanism 25' has a rotation axis n, and the rotation axis n is parallel to the rotation axis m of the transfer wheel 26 and offset with respect to the rotation axis m of the transfer wheel 26.

[0033] In Figure 11 In the second embodiment shown, the rod manufacturing device 1' is provided with a unit 4' for feeding the filling material in the form of segments S1, S2. Figure 2 The rod R' shown is made of segments S1, S2. The segments S1, S2 can be segments made of filter material or any other material. The segments S1, S2 are supplied by the feed modules 51, 52 and transferred to the forming unit 6' by means of the transfer module 53. The device 1' is provided with a feed unit 5 constructed similarly to the first embodiment. If two different types of beads C1, C2 are alternately supplied to successive feed units 21, the device 1' according to the second embodiment can be used to manufacture a rod as Figure 3 shown.

[0034] In Figure 12 In the third embodiment shown, the rod manufacturing device 1" is provided with a unit 4', similar to the second embodiment, for feeding the filling material in the form of segments S1, S2. The device 1" is provided with two feed units 5', 5" for feeding two different types of beads C1, C2, and the device can be used to manufacture a rod as Figure 3The rods with beads C1, C2 shown are alternately placed in the successive spaces between segments S1, S2. In addition, the device 1" can be used to manufacture a rod as shown in Figure 4 which two beads C1, C2 are located in one space between segments S1, S2. The first feeding unit 5' can feed the first type of bead C1, and the second feeding unit 5" can feed the second type of bead C2.

Claims

1. A feeding unit for feeding beads (C), the feeding unit comprising: a supply channel (24) for feeding a stream of beads (C), a transfer wheel (26) provided with at least one transfer cavity (34), a pushing mechanism (25) comprising a holding cavity (29) and a pushing element (31), the holding cavity for receiving the beads (C) from the supply channel (24), and the pushing element for individually transferring the beads (C) from the holding cavity (29) to the transfer wheel (26), a transfer channel (30) extending from the holding cavity (29) towards the transfer wheel (26), characterized in that the pushing element (31) has a pushing edge (32), and the pushing element is a rotating element with a horizontal axis of rotation (n), the pushing edge (32) being arranged to pass through the holding cavity (29) and the transfer channel (30) during rotation so as to push the beads (C) out of the holding cavity (29) and through the transfer channel (30) into the transfer cavity (34).

2. The unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the pushing element (31) is a plate having a cylindrical surface.

3. The unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transfer channel (30) tangentially adjoins the transfer wheel (26).

4. The unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one guide is provided, the at least one guide being arranged adjacent to the movement path of the transfer cavity (34).

5. The unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide on the side of the supply channel (24) is in the form of two concentric circular surfaces.

6. The unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axis of rotation (n) of the pushing element (31) overlaps with the axis of rotation (m) of the transfer wheel (26).

7. A device for manufacturing a plurality of rods from a continuous rod (CR), the device being provided with: a filler material feeding unit, a feeding unit for feeding beads (C), a forming unit for forming the continuous rod (CR), and a cutting head for cutting the continuous rod (CR) into individual rods (R, R', R''), characterized in that the feeding unit for feeding beads (C) is provided with a feeding wheel (20) having a plurality of transport cavities (22) for transferring the beads (C), and at least one feeding unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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