Drum for tobacco industry product assembly machine

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a drum for transporting rods through a tobacco industry product assembly machine. The drum comprises a plurality of pairs of carriages arranged around the peripheral surface of the drum body. Each carriage has a flute adapted to carry a rod, and each carriage's flute has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The drum is configured such that, during rotation of the drum body, each pair of carriages transitions from a first configuration to a second configuration, in the first configuration, the first ends of the flutes face each other and the second ends of the flutes face each other outward, and in the second configuration, the second ends of the flutes face each other and the first ends of the flutes face each other outward. This disclosure also relates to an apparatus for assembling tobacco industry products and to a method for manufacturing a drum for transporting rods through a tobacco industry product assembly machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drum for transporting a rod through a tobacco industry product assembling machine.

[0002] Background

[0003] Devices for manufacturing rod-shaped consumables in the tobacco industry usually include a plurality of drums, which are arranged to transport the rod-shaped members in a transverse direction (i.e., sideward) with respect to their length direction. The drums generally include a plurality of flutes (i.e., grooves) formed on their peripheral surfaces. The flutes are provided with suction holes configured to hold components or tobacco industry products within the flutes during a desired rotation interval of the drum where assembly operations are performed. The components or tobacco industry products are transferred from one drum to another at a position where the drums are closest to each other.

[0004] Summary

[0005] As a first aspect of the present invention, a drum for transporting a rod through a tobacco industry product assembling machine is provided. The drum includes a plurality of pairs of carriages arranged around the peripheral surface of the drum body. Each carriage includes a flute adapted to carry the rod. The flute of each carriage includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The drum is configured such that during rotation of the drum body, each pair of carriages transitions from a first configuration to a second configuration, in the first configuration, the first ends of the flutes face each other, and the second ends of the flutes face the end side of the drum body, and in the second configuration, the second ends of the flutes face each other, and the first ends of the flutes face the end side of the drum body.

[0006] The drum can be configured such that during rotation of the drum body, each pair of carriages transitions from a first configuration to a second configuration and further returns to the first configuration during a complete rotation of the drum body.

[0007] Each pair of carriages can rotate from a first configuration to a second configuration around a carriage axis that extends radially from the rotation axis of the drum body.

[0008] The drum may be configured such that, in each pair of carriages, one carriage rotates in a first rotational direction and the other carriage rotates in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, thereby transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration.

[0009] The drum may be configured such that each carriage of each pair of carriages rotates back to the second configuration in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation when rotating from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0010] The rotation of each carriage in each pair of carriages can occur simultaneously.

[0011] The drum may be configured such that, in each pair of carriages, the area swept by one carriage while it is rotating does not overlap with the area swept by the other carriage of the same pair while it is rotating.

[0012] For each carriage, its axis of rotation can be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of its flute.

[0013] In either the first or second configuration, the longitudinal axis of the flute may extend parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum.

[0014] In either the first or second configuration, the flutes of each pair of carriages may be aligned axially.

[0015] Each carriage can rotate 180 degrees to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration, and then rotate another 180 degrees to return from the second configuration to the first configuration.

[0016] The carriages are arranged circumferentially in two rows around the drum body, and each carriage may be aligned with the carriages of the other row in the axial direction of the drum.

[0017] Each carriage may have two or more flutes.

[0018] The drum may further comprise a cam and an arrangement of cam drivers disposed within the drum body to engage with the cam, with each carriage associated with a cam driver, and each cam driver configured to rotate its respective carriage as the drum body rotates.

[0019] As the drum rotates, each cam follower can be displaced in the axial direction of the drum.

[0020] The drum body may be configured to rotate independently of the cam.

[0021] Each carriage rotates on a spindle extending radially into the drum body, and the spindle is equipped with a pinion gear that meshes with a rack of cam followers, so that the spindle and carriage can rotate in conjunction with the displacement of the cam followers as the drum body rotates.

[0022] Each pair of carriages comprises a first carriage and a second carriage, the first carriage being associated with a first cam follower and the second carriage being associated with a second cam follower, and the cams comprising a first cam profile at a first end of the drum body and a second cam profile at a second end of the drum body, the first cam follower engaging with the first cam profile and the second cam follower engaging with the second cam profile.

[0023] The first cam profile can be a mirror image of the second cam profile.

[0024] The first and second cam profiles may have the following four regions: - A first area having a flat profile so as not to change the position of the cam follower passing over it; - A second region having a rising profile for advancing a cam follower passing thereon away from respective ends of the drum body; - A third region having a flat profile for keeping the position of a cam follower passing thereon unchanged; - A fourth region having a falling profile for returning a cam follower passing thereon to respective end sides of the drum body.

[0025] Optionally, - The first region maintains the carriage in a first configuration for receiving the rod; - The second region rotates a pair of carriages from the first configuration to a second configuration; - The third region maintains the carriage in the second configuration for delivering the rod; - The fourth region rotates and returns the carriage to the first configuration.

[0026] The cam profile follows along a circle, and the arc length of the second region can be greater than the arc length of the fourth region.

[0027] The fourth region is stepped, and regions of the falling profile and the flat profile can be arranged in sequence.

[0028] Each cam follower can be provided with a spring that biases the cam follower against the cam.

[0029] Each flute can be provided with a suction hole for holding the rod within the flute.

[0030] The drum can further include a manifold within the drum body configured to connect and disconnect the suction holes to a vacuum conduit as the drum body rotates.

[0031] The manifold can be configured to connect the suction holes when each carriage transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0032] The manifold may be configured to cut the suction port as each carriage returns from the second configuration to the first configuration.

[0033] In some embodiments, the carriage is manufactured by 3D printing. This has been found to advantageously improve the manufacturability of the carriage, for example, by improving the positioning accuracy of the suction holes within the carriage flutes. In addition, 3D printing of the carriage has been found to allow the suction holes to be formed without sharp edges / angles / sharp bends where they pass through the interior of the carriage, thus avoiding problems that could otherwise increase turbulence and / or pressure loss in the flow within the suction holes, and also to enable larger suction holes.

[0034] In a second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for assembling tobacco industry products is provided, comprising a drum according to the first aspect.

[0035] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a drum for transporting rods through a tobacco industry product assembly machine, the method comprising: providing a drum body and a plurality of carriages, each carriage comprising a flute adapted to carry a rod, the flute of each carriage comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end; arranging the carriages in pairs around the peripheral surface of the drum body such that, during use, while the drum body is rotating, the carriages transition from a first configuration to a second configuration, in the first configuration, the first ends of the flutes face each other and the second ends of the flutes face each other outward, and in the second configuration, the second ends of the flutes face each other and the first ends of the flutes face each other outward.

[0036] In some embodiments, the step of providing multiple carriages includes manufacturing the multiple carriages, preferably including the step of 3D printing the carriages.

[0037] In some embodiments, a drum manufactured by this method has any of the characteristics of a drum described herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the consumables of an embodiment produced using the apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the assembly steps performed on the rod-shaped member being transported through the apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a rotating drum according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an overhead view of the rotating drum shown in Figure 4, with a schematic diagram of the rod-shaped member entering and exiting the drum superimposed on it. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is an end view of the drum in Figure 4, showing the cross-sectional line BB. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the cross-sectional line BB of the drum in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the drum rack from Figure 4. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A schematically shows each section of the drum's rotation. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B schematically shows the cam profile corresponding to the rotational section of the drum shown in Figure 8A. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the drum shown in Figure 4, taken along the section line AA shown in Figure 5. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a partial assembly of the drum shown in Figure 4.

[0039] Detailed explanation

[0040] As those skilled in the art will understand, apparatus for manufacturing rod-shaped consumables in the tobacco industry typically comprises several drums arranged to transport the rod-shaped members transversely (i.e., laterally) to their longitudinal direction. The drums include several flutes (i.e., grooves) formed on their peripheral surfaces. The flutes of adjacent drums are spaced equally on a pitch circle, thereby allowing the rod-shaped components to be transferred from one drum to the other at the closest point between the drums. The flutes are provided with suction holes configured to hold the components within the flutes during a desired rotational section of the drum in which the assembly work may be performed. Typical apparatus (e.g., those used in the manufacture of cigarettes) includes drums for cutting, separating, and joining rod-shaped components. A detailed description of the drums for performing these operations is omitted as it falls within the scope of knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0041] Figure 1 schematically shows an apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 100 is configured to manufacture a rod-shaped consumable 200. A schematic cross-section of the rod-shaped consumable 200 is shown in Figure 2. A schematic diagram of the process 300 performed by the apparatus 100 of Figure 1 is shown in Figure 3.

[0042] The rod-shaped consumable 200 comprises a central rod-shaped component 201 and additional first components 202 and additional second components 203 connected to both ends thereof. These components 201, 202, and 203 are held together by being wrapped around the outer circumference by a first packaging material 204 and a second packaging material 205. The properties of the components can vary, but as an example, it may include an aerosol generating section, a plug, and a mouthpiece. The aerosol generating section is the central component 201, and the plug and mouthpiece may be the components 202 and 203 at both ends. The aerosol generating section may be configured to release an aerosol when heated by a heating device in a conventional manner.

[0043] Returning to Figure 1, the apparatus 100 comprises three individual feeders 101, 102, and 103 configured to feed rod-shaped components to each transfer drum. These feeders may be, for example, hoppers for each rod-shaped component. The first transfer drum 104 receives the double-length central component 301 and transfers it to the first cutting drum 107, where it is cut into pairs of central components 201 302. The cutting operation of the double-length central component 301 by the first cutting drum 107 is schematically shown in S1 of Figure 3. The pairs of central components 201 302 are transferred to the separation drum 108, where they are spaced apart axially as shown in S2 of Figure 3, forming pairs of central components 201 303 with axial spacing. From the separation drum 108, the pairs of central components 201 303 with axial spacing are transferred to the first coupling drum 109. The second transfer drum 105 receives double-length additional first components 304 from the second feed unit 102 and transfers them to the first coupling drum 109, where the double-length additional first components 304 are positioned between axially spaced central components 201 to form the first assembly 305 shown in S3 of Figure 3. The first assembly 305 is transferred to the second coupling drum 110 for winding. The packaging material 204 is introduced in the second coupling drum 110, and the first assembly 305 is rolled against the roll hand 111 to have its outer circumference wound with the packaging material 204 to form the first wound assembly 306. Each stage of this winding process performed in the second coupling drum 110 is schematically shown in S4 and S5 of Figure 3. Each of the first wound assemblies 306 comprises double-length additional first components 304 with central components 201 connected to both ends. The first wound assembly 306 is transferred to a second cutting drum 112, where it is cut in half to form two semi-assemblies 307. Each semi-assembly 307 comprises an additional first component 202 (half of an additional first component 304 that is twice as long) connected to a central component 201 by packaging material 204. This cutting step is schematically shown in S6 of Figure 3. From the second cutting drum 112, the semi-assemblies 307 are transferred to a rotating drum 113 as axially aligned pairs. One embodiment of the rotating drum 113 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4.The rotating drum 113 is configured to reposition each pair of axially aligned semi-assemblies 307 (hereinafter referred to as the first position 308 of the semi-assemblies 307) to a second position 309 in which they are again axially aligned with their ends swapped. To achieve this, each semi-assembly 307 in each pair of semi-assemblies is rotated 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to its axis. The ends of each semi-assembly 307 that were adjacent to and facing the other semi-assembly 307 in the first position 308 become ends that move outward from the adjacent semi-assembly 307 in the second position 309. In other words, in the first position 308, the ends of the semi-assembly 307 with the additional first component 202 are adjacent to and facing each other, and in the second position, the ends of the semi-assembly 307 with the central component 201 are adjacent to and facing each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotating drum 113 also causes separation of the semi-assemblies 307, and as shown in S7 of Figure 3, the spacing between adjacent ends at the second position 309 is wider than at the first position 308. This is achieved by rotating each semi-assembly 307 around an axis offset from its center, as will be described later. However, it is not essential for the rotating drum 113 to cause separation of the semi-assemblies 307; instead, the adjacent ends can be evenly spaced at both the first position 308 and the second position 309 by rotating the semi-assemblies 307 around an axis that bisects the center point of the semi-assemblies 307. In embodiments where such separation is not performed by the rotating drum 113, the semi-assemblies may be transferred to a second separation drum (not shown) and separated in the usual manner. In the embodiments described herein, a pair of rotated and spaced semi-assemblies 307 are transferred to a third coupling drum 114 in an axially spaced and aligned state. The third transfer drum 106 receives the double-length additional second component 310 and transfers it to the third coupling drum 114, so that the double-length additional second component 310 is positioned between the axially spaced semi-assemblies 307 to form the second assembly 311 shown in S8 of Figure 3. The second assembly 311 is then transferred to the fourth coupling drum 115 for winding.The second packaging material 205 is introduced in the fourth bonding drum 115, and each second assembly 311 is rolled against the roll hand 116 and surrounded circumferentially by the second packaging material 205 to form a wound second assembly 312. The stages of this winding process performed in the fourth bonding drum 115 are schematically shown in S9 and S10 of Figure 3. Each wound second assembly 312 has a configuration in which a half-assembly 307 is connected to both ends of an additional second component 310 of twice the length. The wound second assembly 312 is transferred to the third cutting drum 117, where it is divided into two, as schematically shown in S11 of Figure 3, to become the rod-shaped consumables of Figure 2.

[0044] The rotating drum 113 will be described below with reference to Figures 4-10. The rotating drum 113 (hereinafter simply referred to as drum 113) will be described as conveying the semi-assembly 307 in the apparatus 100, but it will be understood that the drum 113 can carry any rod-shaped assembly. Beneficially, the drum 113 makes it possible to rotate a pair of cut rods from a first position in which the rods are aligned axially and the first ends of the rods are close together or touching, to a second position in which the rods are again aligned axially but their ends are swapped, and the first end of one rod faces outward from the other rod. Therefore, the advantages of the drum 113 are applicable to any manufacturing apparatus for rod-shaped consumables in which it is necessary to rearrange rod-shaped components or assemblies from a first position to a second position in a single operation.

[0045] Referring to Figure 4, the drum 113 comprises a drum body 401 and a plurality of carriages 402 arranged around the peripheral surface 403 of the drum body 401. Each carriage 402 includes a flute 404 adapted to carry a rod, for example, a semi-assembled 307. The flute 404 is an elongated groove-shaped receiving portion into which the rod is housed when transported by the drum 113. The drum 113 is configured such that in one section of rotation of the drum body 401, the flute 404 rotates 180 degrees around an axis substantially perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. Thus, in that section of rotation of the drum body 401, the rod received by the flute 404 is rotated from a first position to a second position by the rotation of the carriage 402.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, the carriages 402 are arranged circumferentially in two rows 4021, 4022 around the peripheral surface 403 of the drum body. Each carriage 402 aligns with the carriages of the other row in the axial direction of the drum 113 to form a pair of carriages 402', 402''. Each pair of carriages 402', 402'' includes a first carriage 402' and a second carriage 402''. Each of the first carriages 402' is adjacent to the first end 405 of the drum 113, and each of the second carriages 402'' is adjacent to the second end 406 of the drum 113.

[0047] The rotation of the drum body 401 is divided into four sections. Each section of rotation represents an angular range in which the pair of carriages 402', 402'' traverse the axis XX of the drum 113 with respect to a predetermined phase of the motion of the carriages 402', 402''. In the first section of rotation, the carriages 402', 402'' are in a first configuration D1 and remain stationary to collect a pair of rods from an adjacent drum. In the first configuration D1, the carriages are positioned to collect a pair of rods at their first position P1. The rods at the first position P1 are schematically shown in Figure 5 near the drum on the side where the carriages 402', 402'' are in the first configuration D1. The carriages maintain the first configuration D1 throughout the first section of rotation of the drum body 401. During the rotation of the drum body 401 over a second section, the carriages 402', 402'' rotate to a second configuration D2, thereby translating the supported rod from a first position P1 to a second position P2. The rod at the second position P2 is schematically shown adjacent to the drum side where the carriages 402', 402'' are in the second configuration D2. During the rotation of the drum body 401 over a third section, the carriages 402', 402'' come to rest again, remaining in the second configuration D2, allowing the supported rod to be transferred to another drum for further processing. During the rotation of the drum body 401 over a fourth section, the carriages rotate back from the second configuration D2 to the first configuration D1.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the first section of the drum body 401 is approximately 30 degrees, the second section is approximately 160 degrees, the third section is approximately 30 degrees, and the fourth section is approximately 140 degrees. Preferably, the angular range of the second section is greater than the angular range of the fourth section. This results in the time it takes for the carriages 402', 402'' to transition from the first configuration D1 to the second configuration D2 during the rotation of the second section of the drum body 401 being longer than the time for the fourth section, and consequently, the acceleration of the carriages 402', 402'' as they transition from the first configuration D1 to the second configuration D2 over the rotation of the second section of the drum body 401 is less than the acceleration as they return from the second configuration D2 to the first configuration D1 over the rotation of the fourth section of the drum body 401. It is desirable to minimize the acceleration of carriages 402',402'' across the second section, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the supported rod. It will be understood that maximizing the angular range over which carriages 402',402'' traverse the second section minimizes the acceleration required to move carriages 402',402'' from the first configuration D1 to the second configuration D2. Since the angular range required for receiving and transporting the rod (i.e., the angular range of rotation of the drum body 401 in the first section and the third section) is relatively fixed, maximizing the angular range of the second section is best achieved by minimizing the angular range of the fourth section.

[0049] When the carriage is in the first configuration D1 or the second configuration D2, the flute 404 is positioned on a pitch circle around the drum axis XX. This means that as the drum body 401 rotates, the rod supported by the flute 404 traverses a circular orbit and is therefore correctly positioned for collection from and transfer to adjacent drums during the first and third rotations of the drum body 401, respectively.

[0050] Each carriage 402 comprises an arm 407 connected to a spindle 408 on which it rotates. The spindle 408 extends radially into the drum body 401 so as to be connected to a rotating mechanism for rotating the arm 407. The arm 407 is connected to the spindle 408 at its proximal end 407' and extends perpendicular to the axis of the spindle. A first flute 404' is provided at the distal end 407'' of the arm 407, and a second flute 404'' is provided at an intermediate position on the arm 407. The second flute 404'' protrudes from the intermediate position on the arm so as to maintain a pitch circle arrangement for the flutes 404', 404'', and is provided on the upper surface of a wall 409 that is parallel to the spindle axis and erect from the arm 407.

[0051] Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of the drum 113 and shows an example of the rotating mechanism 601. The rotating mechanism 601 includes a rack 602, which is mechanically connected to a pinion gear 603, so that the linear motion of the rack 602 causes the pinion gear 603 to rotate. The pinion gear 603 is mounted on and connected to a spindle 408, so that the rotation of the pinion gear 603 causes the spindle 408 to rotate. Therefore, the linear motion of the rack 602 causes the spindle 408 and the arm 407 connected thereto to rotate. The rotating mechanism 601 is configured to rotate the arm 407 180 degrees on the spindle 408 during the rotation of the third section of the drum body 401. This rotation of the arm 407 corresponds to the carriage 402 motion between the first and second configurations D2, D2.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the drum 113 comprises 10 pairs of carriages 402', 402'', and therefore there are also 10 pairs of rotating mechanisms 601, each associated with each pair of carriages 402', 402''. The rack 602 of each rotating mechanism 601 is disposed within a guide 604 in the drum body 401. The rack 602 slides within the guide 604, causing the respective spindles 408 and carriages 402 to rotate, and as the drum body 401 rotates, the rack 602 is driven by a cam 605 that follows it.

[0053] The cam 605 comprises a first cam 605' and a second cam 605'', which are located at each end of the drum body 401, respectively. The first cam 605' is positioned at the first end 405 of the drum 113, and the second cam 605'' is positioned at the second end 406 of the drum 113. Each cam 605', 605'' remains in a fixed position relative to the drum body 401 during the operation of the drum 113. Each pair of the rotating mechanism 601 includes a first rotating mechanism and a second rotating mechanism. The first and second rotating mechanisms 601 are associated with the first carriage 402' and the second carriage 402'', respectively. The rack 602 of the first rotating mechanism is driven by the first cam 605', and the rack of the second rotating mechanism is driven by the second cam 605''. Therefore, each rotation of the first carriage 402' is brought about by each first rotating mechanism 601 driven by the first cam 605', and each rotation of the second carriage 402'' is brought about by each second rotating mechanism 601 driven by the second cam 605''.

[0054] Figure 7 shows in more detail one embodiment of the rack 602 of the rotating mechanism 601. The rack 602 comprises a linear gear 701 that meshes with a corresponding pinion gear 603, a shaft 702 that places the rack 602 within the respective guides 604 of the drum body 401, a cam follower 703, and a spring 704. The linear gear 701 is formed in the middle section of the shaft 702, and both sides of this middle section are supported by the guides 604. The shaft 702 has a branched end 705, in which the wheel 706 of the cam follower 703 is placed. The spring 704 is a coil spring placed coaxially around the shaft 702. One end of the spring 704 is biased to abut against the shoulder 707 of the shaft 702, and the other end abuts against the shoulder of the guide 604. The spring 704 operates in compression, maintaining the force that keeps the cam follower 703 pressed against the cam 605.

[0055] Each cam 605', 605'' has a circular track that forms a cam profile. The cam profile of the first cam 605' is referred to as the first cam profile in this specification, and the cam profile of the second cam 605'' is referred to as the second cam profile. As the drum body 401 rotates, the cam follower 703 of the first rotating mechanism 601 follows the first cam profile 605', and the cam follower 703 of the second rotating mechanism 601 follows the second cam profile 605''. The first cam profile is a mirror image of the second cam profile. Therefore, in any pair of rotating mechanisms, as the drum body 401 rotates, the displacement of the rack 602 of the first rotating mechanism 601 due to the first cam profile is equal to and in the opposite direction to the displacement of the rack 602 of the second rotating mechanism due to the second cam profile. This means that in any pair of carriages 402',402'', a clockwise rotation of the first carriage 402' occurs simultaneously with an equally large counterclockwise rotation of the second carriage 402'', and vice versa.

[0056] Figures 8A and 8B schematically show the rotation of a section of the drum body 401 with respect to changes in the cam profiles 801 of the first cam 605' and the second cam 605''. Each cam profile 801 has four sections R1, R2, R3, and R4 (shown in Figure 8B) corresponding to four rotation sections Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4 (shown in Figure 8A) of the drum body 401. Each section R1, R2, R3, and R4 of the cam profile covers the same angular range and position as each section Pr1, Pr2, Pr3, and Pr4 of the rotation of the drum body 401. The first section R1 has a flat profile 802. The flat profile 802 has no gradient in the axial direction of the drum and therefore does not displace the rack 602 with the rotation of the drum body 401. The second section R2 has an upward profile 803. The upward profile 803 has a positive slope in the axial direction, and therefore displaces the rack 602 inward as the drum body 401 rotates. "Inward" means towards the center of the drum body 401. When the first end 405 of the drum 113 is viewed from the left and the second end 406 from the right (as in Figure 5), the second area R2 of the first cam profile causes the first carriage 402' to rotate counterclockwise, and the second area R2 of the second cam profile causes the second carriage 402'' to rotate clockwise. Similar to the first area R1, the third area R3 also has a flat profile 802 and therefore does not displace the rack 602. The fourth area has a downward profile 804. The downward profile 804 has a negative slope in the axial direction, and as the drum body 401 rotates, the rack 602 returns to the respective end sides of the drum 113 under the load of the spring 704. As in Figure 5, when the first end 405 of the drum 113 is viewed from the left and the second end 406 from the right, the first carriage 402' rotates clockwise due to the fourth area R4 of the first cam profile, and the second carriage 402'' rotates counterclockwise due to the fourth area R4 of the second cam profile.

[0057] As described above, it is desirable to minimize the rotation of the drum body 401 over the fourth section Pr4, i.e., the range of rotation angles of the drum body 401 required to return the carriages 402', 402'' from the second configuration D2 to the first configuration D1. To achieve this, the fourth section R4 of the cam profile is stepped, with the sections of the descending profile 804 and the flat profile 802 arranged sequentially. This allows the section of the descending profile 804 to be steeper than if the descending profile were linear throughout the entire fourth section R4. Therefore, the carriages 402', 402'' return to the second configuration D2 with fewer rotations of the drum body 401. The angular spacing between the descending profile 804 and the flat profile 802 is set so that when the rotation of one pair of carriages 402 pauses, the next pair begins to rotate. In this way, a pair of carriages can complete a large amount of rotation before the next pair in the row begins to rotate, preventing interference between carriages 402 in consecutive rows.

[0058] Figure 9 shows a cross-section of the drum 113 along axis XX. As shown, the drive shaft 901 extends along the axis of the drum between the first end 405 and the second end 406 of the drum. The drive shaft 901 is connected to the drum body 401, and the rotation of the drive shaft 901 causes the drum body 401 to rotate. The second end 902 of the drive shaft protrudes from the second end 406 of the drum 113 and is equipped with a spline end 903 for connection to a motor or other torque transmission device (not shown). The first end 405 of the drum 113 is equipped with a first mounting flange 904, and the second end 406 of the drum 113 is equipped with a second mounting flange 905, thereby fixing the drum 113 to an opposing mounting surface (not shown). The first mounting flange 904 and the second mounting flange 905 are held stationary by their respective mounting portions, and during operation of the drum 113, the drive shaft 901 and the drum body 401 rotate relative to the first mounting flange 904 and the second mounting flange 905. The first mounting flange 904 includes a bearing housing 906. The bearing housing 906 extends into the drum body 401 for compact assembly. The first rolling bearing 907 is supported by the bearing housing 906 and rotatably mounts the first end 908 of the drive shaft 901. The first cam 605' is connected to the first mounting flange 904 and held in a fixed position relative to the drum body 401. The first cam 605' is annular and fits around the bearing housing 906, and the circular raceway of the first cam profile is radially aligned to contact the cam follower 703 of the first rotation mechanism.

[0059] The drum is equipped with a suction system for holding rod-shaped components within the flutes 404 from a first section Pr1 (the section in which rod-shaped components are collected from adjacent drums) to a third section Pr3 (the section in which rod-shaped components are transferred to another adjacent drum) of rotation of the drum body 401. The suction system comprises suction holes 410 (exemplified in Figure 4) provided in each flute 404 and a manifold 909 (see Figures 9 and 10) provided in the drum body 401, which connects and disconnects the suction holes 410 to the vacuum conduits 910 as the drum body 401 rotates. The manifold 909 is configured to fluidly connect the suction holes 410 to the vacuum conduits 910 during the rotation of the drum body 401 in the first section Pr1 and to maintain this connection until a predetermined point in the rotation of the drum body 401 in the third section Pr3.

[0060] The vacuum conduit 910 comprises an internal passage 911 of the second mounting flange 905 and a connector 912 for connection to a vacuum source (not shown). The connector 912 has a standard air fitting that screws into the external opening of the internal passage 911. When the drum 113 is in operation, the vacuum source is connected to the connector 912 and a negative gauge pressure is maintained within the vacuum conduit 911.

[0061] In some embodiments, the carriage 402 is manufactured by 3D printing. This has been found to advantageously improve the manufacturability of the carriage 402. Furthermore, it has been found that 3D printing the carriage 402 allows for improved positioning accuracy of the suction holes 410, for example, within the flutes 404 of the carriage 402. In addition, it has been found that 3D printing of the carriage 402 allows for the formation of the suction holes 410 without sharp edges, corners, or bends in the suction holes 410 passing through the carriage 402, thereby suppressing increased turbulence and / or pressure loss in the flow within the suction holes 410.

[0062] Figure 10 is a detailed view of the assembly comprising the manifold 909, drive shaft 901, second mounting flange 905, and second cam 605''. Other components are omitted from the illustration to show the manifold 909 in more detail. The manifold 909 comprises a distributor 1001 and a control ring 1002. The distributor 1001 is connected to the mounting flange 905 and is therefore stationary during the operation of the drum 113. The distributor 1001 has a tubular shape and is received in the drum body 401 coaxially with the drive shaft 901. A portion of the drive shaft 901 extends through the distributor 1001 and is connected to the drum body 401 at the drive shaft flange 1003. The distributor 1001 has a notch 913 on its outer surface (see Figure 9), which forms a cavity within the drum body 401, and further has an internal passage 914 that fluidly connects the notch 913 to a vacuum conduit 911 in the mounting flange 905. The internal passage 914 of the distributor 1001 is referred to herein as the “distributor conduit 914”. The control ring 1002 is a tubular sleeve located between the distributor 1001 and the drum body 401, and airtightly encloses the notch 913. The control ring 1002 has a first slotted opening 1004' and a second slotted opening 1004'' that extend circumferentially. The slotted openings 1004', 1004'' extend over an angular range equal to the angular range traversed by the carriage 402, from the position where the rod is collected to the position where it is transferred to another drum. Therefore, the angular range of the slotted openings 1004',1004'' is equal to the sum of the drum rotations in the first section Pr1 (at least a portion), the second section Pr2, and the third section Pr3 (at least a portion). The slotted openings 1004',1004'' are configured to communicate with the internal flow channels 915 (hereinafter referred to as spindle conduits 915) of the spindle 408. The spindle conduits 915 open at the distal end of each spindle 408, i.e., the end opposite to the end connected to the arm 407 of the carriage 402. Each spindle conduit 915 communicates with a flow channel 916 in the arm 407 of the respective carriage 402. The flow channel 916 in the arm 407 is referred to herein as the "carriage conduit 916".Each carriage conduit 916 branches into four subconduits, which open through four suction holes 410. In the diagram, four suction holes 410 are shown per carriage 402 (two per flute), but it should be understood that the number of suction holes 410 can be increased or decreased as needed.

[0063] The distal end of each spindle 408 extends to contact the control ring 1002. The spindle 408 associated with the first carriage 402' aligns with the first slotted opening 1004', and the spindle 408 associated with the second carriage 402'' aligns with the second slotted opening 1004''. Thus, as the drum body 401 rotates, the suction holes 410 of the first carriage 402' are fluidly connected to the vacuum conduit 911 while each spindle 408 passes over the first slotted opening 1004', and the suction holes 410 of the second carriage 402'' are fluidly connected to the vacuum conduit 911 while each spindle 408 passes over the second slotted opening 1004''.

[0064] In the illustrated embodiment, the distributor 1001 includes a second bearing housing 917. The second bearing housing 917 is an internal recess within the distributor 1001 and is shown in cross-section in Figure 9. The second rolling bearing 918 is supported by the second bearing housing 917 and is rotatably mounted adjacent to the second end 902 of the drive shaft 901. In an embodiment not shown, the second bearing housing (not shown) may be provided on the first mounting bracket. It will be understood that the important point is that the second bearing housing is located on a stationary component adjacent to the second end 902 of the drive shaft 901.

[0065] In the illustrated embodiment, the rotating drum 113 also causes separation of the rods being transported by the carriage. As shown in Figure 5, the rod-shaped members 500 are positioned in a first position where the first ends 501 of the rods 500 are in contact with each other. After being rotated to a second position, the second ends of the rods are separated from each other. The rods 500 in the first position P1 and the second position P2 are schematically shown adjacent to the carriages 402 in the first configuration D1 and the second configuration D2, respectively. This is achieved by rotating each rod 500 around rotation axes Rx', Rx'' offset from its center. The rotation axes Rx', Rx'' are illustrated for the carriages 402', 402'' of the first and second rows, respectively. The rotation axes Rx', Rx'' bisect the rod 500 at a position close to the first end 501 of the rod 500 at the first position P1. After rotating around the rotation axes Rx', Rx'', the second ends 502 of the rod 500 are separated from each other.

Claims

1. A drum for transporting rods through a tobacco industry product assembly machine, The drum comprises a plurality of pairs of carriages arranged around the peripheral surface of the drum body, each carriage having a flute adapted to carry a rod, the flute of each carriage having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the drum is configured such that during rotation of the drum body, each pair of carriages transitions from a first configuration to a second configuration, in the first configuration, the first ends of the flutes face each other and the second ends of the flutes face each other outward, and in the second configuration, the second ends of the flutes face each other and the first ends of the flutes face each other outward.

2. The drum according to claim 1, wherein the drum is configured such that, during the rotation of the drum body, each pair of carriages transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration, and further returns to the first configuration during one complete rotation of the drum body.

3. The drum according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each pair of carriages rotates from the first configuration to the second configuration about a carriage axis extending radially from the rotation axis of the drum body.

4. The drum according to claim 3, wherein the drum is configured such that in each pair of carriages, one carriage rotates in a first rotational direction and the other carriage rotates in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, thereby transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration.

5. The drum according to claim 4, wherein the drum is configured such that each carriage of each pair of carriages rotates back to the second configuration in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the carriage when it rotates from the first configuration to the second configuration.

6. The drum according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the rotation of each carriage in each pair of carriages occurs simultaneously.

7. The drum according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the area swept by one carriage in each pair of carriages while that carriage is rotating does not overlap with the area swept by the other carriage in the same pair of carriages while that carriage is rotating.

8. The drum according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the axis of rotation of each carriage is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of its flute.

9. The drum according to claim 8, wherein in either the first configuration or the second configuration, the longitudinal axis of the flute extends parallel to the rotation axis of the drum.

10. The drum according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein in either the first configuration or the second configuration, the flutes of each pair of carriages are aligned in the axial direction.

11. The drum according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein each carriage rotates 180 degrees around the carriage axis to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration, and then rotates another 180 degrees to return from the second configuration to the first configuration.

12. The drum according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the carriages are arranged in two rows circumferentially around the drum body, and each carriage is aligned with the carriages of the other row in the axial direction of the drum.

13. The drum according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each carriage comprises two or more flutes.

14. The drum according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a cam and a cam follower disposed within the drum body for engaging with the cam, wherein each carriage is associated with the cam follower and each cam follower is configured to rotate its respective carriage when the drum body rotates.

15. The drum according to claim 14, wherein each cam follower is displaced in the axial direction of the drum when the drum rotates.

16. The drum according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the drum body is configured to rotate independently of the cam.

17. The drum according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein each carriage rotates on a spindle extending radially into the drum body, the spindle is equipped with a pinion gear that meshes with the rack of the cam follower, and so that the spindle and the carriage rotate due to the displacement of the cam follower when the drum body rotates.

18. The drum according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein each pair of carriages comprises a first carriage and a second carriage, the first carriage being associated with a first cam follower, the second carriage being associated with a second cam follower, the cam having a first cam profile at a first end of the drum body and a second cam profile at a second end of the drum body, the first cam follower engaging with the first cam profile, and the second cam follower engaging with the second cam profile.

19. The drum according to claim 18, wherein the first cam profile is a mirror image of the second cam profile.

20. The first cam profile and the second cam profile are, - A first area having a flat profile so as not to change the position of the cam follower passing over it, - A second area having an upward profile for causing the cam follower passing over it to move away from each end of the drum body, - A third area having a flat profile so as not to change the position of the cam follower passing over it, - A fourth area having a downward profile for returning the cam follower passing over it to each end of the drum body, The drum according to claim 18 or 19, comprising:

21. The first area maintains the carriage in the first configuration to receive the rod, the second area rotates the pair of carriages from the first configuration to the second configuration, and the third area maintains the carriage in the second configuration to transfer the rod. The drum according to claim 20, wherein the fourth area rotates the carriage back to the first configuration.

22. The drum according to claim 21, wherein the cam profile follows a circle and the arc length of the second area is greater than the arc length of the fourth area.

23. The drum according to claim 22, wherein the fourth area is stepped, and a downward profile area and a flat profile area are arranged sequentially.

24. The drum according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein each cam follower is provided with a spring that biases the cam follower to come into contact with the cam.

25. The drum according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein each flute is provided with a suction hole for holding a rod within the flute.

26. The drum according to claim 25, further comprising a manifold within the drum body configured to connect and disconnect the suction holes to a vacuum conduit as the drum body rotates.

27. The drum according to claim 26, wherein the manifold is configured to connect the suction holes when each of the carriages transitions from the first configuration to the second configuration.

28. The drum according to claim 27, wherein the manifold is configured to cut the suction holes when each carriage returns from the second configuration to the first configuration.

29. The carriage is manufactured by 3D printing, as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. An apparatus for assembling tobacco industry products, comprising the drum described in any one of claims 1 to 29.

31. A method for manufacturing a drum for conveying rods through a tobacco industry product assembly machine, A method comprising the steps of providing a drum body and a plurality of carriages, each carriage comprising a flute adapted to carry a rod, the flute of each carriage comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the method further comprising the steps of arranging the carriages in pairs around the peripheral surface of the drum body such that, during use, while the drum body is rotating, the pair of carriages transition from a first configuration to a second configuration, in the first configuration the first ends of the flutes face each other and the second ends of the flutes face each other outward, and in the second configuration the second ends of the flutes face each other and the first ends of the flutes face each other outward.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the step of providing the plurality of carriages includes manufacturing the plurality of carriages, preferably including the step of 3D printing the carriages.

33. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the drum has the features described in any one of claims 1 to 29.

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