Machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods, a scraper, and a method for removing deposit from a transporting tape

Abstract

The subject of the application is a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R) comprising a cleaning mechanism (1, 1', 1'', 1''') comprising a body (3), a scraper (2, 2', 2'') having a scraping edge (2B), and a transporting tape (402) wound around a roller (413, 414). According to the invention, the cleaning mechanism (1, 1', 1'', 1''') has a support surface (2A) arranged to rest against a reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K), and furthermore the cleaning mechanism (1, 1', 1'', 1''') is arranged so that, when the support surface (2A) rests against the reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K) along a support line (2F), an operating distance (d) is maintained between the scraping edge (2B) and the surface (402A) of the transporting tape (402).

Description

[0001] MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING TOBACCO INDUSTRY RODS, A SCRAPER, AND A METHOD FOR REMOVING DEPOSIT FROM A TRANSPORTING TAPE

[0002] The subject of the invention is a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods, a scraper, and a method for removing deposit from a transporting tape.

[0003] Tobacco industry products such as cigarettes, cigarillos, and filters are usually manufactured in a continuous process comprising placing filling material, i.e., tobacco or filtering material, on a moving wrapper material strand and gluing the edges of the wrapper material, thereby forming a continuous rod. The continuous rod is then cut into individual rod-like articles— tobacco or filter rods. Certain filling materials, due to their structure, require immobilization relative to the wrapper material, i.e., adhesion to the wrapper material. Immobilizing the filling material prevents its movement in the finished product. For this purpose, in addition to a glue path for sealing the edges of the wrapper material strand, an additional glue path or paths are applied to the wrapper material, which, once set, ensure the immobilization of the filling material relative to the wrapper material. Currently, various wrapper materials are used, often very thin, so that glue can easily permeate them, contaminating the format tape that transports both the wrapper material and the filling material, and, once the edges are glued, the continuous rod. The filling materials in use also have various forms and structures, sometimes making it difficult to achieve a proper connection with the wrapper material. Because the filling materials can absorb glue to varying degrees, the amount of glue must be adjusted to the specific filling material in order to obtain the proper bond with the wrapper material.

[0004] If the product specification simultaneously requires using a thin, permeable wrapper material, it becomes impossible to avoid significant glue permeation through the wrapper material to the outside of the final product. Glue that permeates through the wrapper material deposits on the guide as well as on the transporting tape, adversely affecting the quality of the finished products, primarily their dimensions. To ensure the stability and effectiveness of the further manufacturing process, it is necessary to remove as much as possible of this excess glue from the path along which the semi-finished product and finished product move during continued production. The format tape in the forming apparatus for the continuous rod is especially prone to contamination. From Patent EP2695533B1 , flat scrapers having sharp edges are known for cleaning both the format tape and the rewinding rollers that guide the format tape. From Documents DE4225644A1 and DE102005025749B4, scrapers for cleaning a tape used to feed filling material in the form of tobacco are known. In the above-cited documents, the scrapers remain in edge contact with the cleaned surface.

[0005] The format tape is usually made of woven material and has a specified, generally high coefficient of friction on its surface, which enables stable guidance of the wrapper material that moves on it during the manufacturing process. When contaminants— particularly glue contaminants— are cleaned with scraping edges resting against the tape surface, the tape undergoes rapid mechanical wear and its coefficient of friction decreases, making it necessary to replace the tape. Moreover, if a large amount of glue deposit accumulates, the wrapper material may adhere to the format tape. In general, the accumulation of excess glue reduces the quality of the manufactured rods.

[0006] A solution is therefore needed that would enable effective removal of glue accumulating on the format tape without further mechanical wear of the format tape resulting from scraping. Such a solution would extend the operating life time of the format tape and reduce production costs, both from tape replacement and from production downtimes for tape replacement.

[0007] The essence of the invention is a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods containing a cleaning mechanism comprising a body, a scraper having a scraping edge, and a transporting tape guided over a roller. The machine according to the invention is characterized in that the cleaning mechanism has a support surface arranged to rest against a reference surface, and the cleaning mechanism is arranged so that, when the support surface rests against the reference surface along a support line, an operating distance is maintained between the scraping edge and the surface of the transporting tape.

[0008] Preferably, the machine is arranged so that the operating distance is greater than zero.

[0009] Preferably, the machine is characterized in that the scraper is arranged so that alteration of the scraper's mounting angle alters the operating distance.

[0010] The machine is characterized in that the reference surface is located outside the cleaning area of the transporting tape.

[0011] The machine is characterized in that the scraping edge and support surface are offset relative to each other in the direction of the scraping edge or in a direction parallel to the scraping edge.

[0012] In the operating position, the scraping edge is at a distance (offset) from the support line, and that offset can alter as the operating distance alters.

[0013] The machine preferably contains an elastic element to press the support surface against the reference surface.

[0014] The scraper may be in the form of a rod provided with at least one cavity, whose edge on the circumference of the rod, parallel to its axis, forms the scraping edge.

[0015] The cleaning mechanism is arranged so that it can tilt, moving the scraper away from the transporting tape. The reference surface can be chosen from the group comprising the transporting tape surface, the format tape surface, the deposit on the transporting tape, the deposit on the format tape, the surface of a roller guiding the transporting tape, the surface of a roller guiding the format tape, or a fixed element of the machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods.

[0016] The essence of the invention also includes a scraper for removing deposit from the transporting tape of a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods. The scraper according to the invention is characterized in that it has a support surface arranged to rest against a reference surface. Furthermore, the scraper is arranged such that, when the support surface rests against the reference surface, an operating distance is maintained between the scraping edge and the surface of the transporting tape.

[0017] The essence of the invention also includes a method for removing deposit from the transporting tape of a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods. In the method, the support surface is moved toward the reference surface so that the scraper's scraping edge is located above the surface of the transporting tape at an operating distance. Next, the operating distance between the scraping edge and the transporting tape surface is set, the tobacco industry machine is started, and the deposit is removed from the transporting tape using the scraper's scraping edge.

[0018] The mechanism, the scraper, and the cleaning method according to the invention ensure uniform removal of contamination across the entire length of the format tape, while at the same time reducing the risk of damage to the format tape. The mechanism has a simple structure and can be easily adjusted to production conditions.

[0019] The subject of the invention is further presented in a preferred embodiment in the drawing, in which:

[0020] Fig. 1 presents a machine for manufacturing segment filter rods, Fig. 2 presents a machine for manufacturing acetate filter rods,

[0021] Fig. 3 presents a forming apparatus in a front view,

[0022] Fig. 4 presents a forming apparatus in a top view,

[0023] Fig. 5 presents a view of a format tape and a wrapper material,

[0024] Fig. 6 presents a cleaning mechanism in a first embodiment,

[0025] Fig. 7 presents an enlargement of Fig. 6,

[0026] Fig. 8 presents a cleaning mechanism in a second embodiment,

[0027] Fig. 9 presents a scraper in a perspective view,

[0028] Fig. 9a presents a scraper in a projection from a scraping edge side,

[0029] Fig. 9b presents, in a perspective view, a scraper whose support line comprises multiple segments,

[0030] Fig. 9c presents, in a perspective view, a scraper whose support line comprises a single segment,

[0031] Fig. 10 presents a scraper and a format tape in a perspective view,

[0032] Fig. 11 presents a scraper and a format tape, where a reference surface is the surface of the format tape,

[0033] Fig. 12 presents the scraper and the format tape, where the reference surface is the peripheral surface of the drive roller,

[0034] Fig. 13 presents the scraper and the format tape, where the reference surface is the surface of a stationary element,

[0035] Fig. 14 presents a scraper and a format tape, where a reference surface is the surface of the format tape,

[0036] Fig. 15 presents a cleaning mechanism in a third embodiment,

[0037] Fig. 16 presents a cleaning mechanism in a fourth embodiment,

[0038] Fig. 17 presents an enlargement of Fig. 12.

[0039] Fig. 1 presents a tobacco industry machine 100 for manufacturing segment rods R from a continuous rod CR, hereinafter referred to as the continuous rod CR. The machine 100 comprises a feeding part 200 for supplying segments and a forming part 300 for forming the continuous rod CR. The segments are produced by cutting rods A, B, C made of various materials, these segments are arranged one behind the other in a predetermined order and constitute the filling material F. In the forming part 300, the filling material F is wrapped in a wrapper material strand W in a forming apparatus 400, and the resulting continuous rod CR is cut into individual segment rods R. The continuous rod CR results from combining the segments, which in the feeding part 200 are transported on a transporting tape as a stream of segments in a transporting apparatus 500. Fig. 2 presents a machine 100' for manufacturing tobacco industry filter rods, comprising a feeding part 200' and a forming part 300' for manufacturing rods R from a continuous rod CR containing the filling material F, which is a filtering material unwound from a bale B or a bobbin. The filling material F may be made from acetate, cellulose, or other materials used in the tobacco industry, generally of organic or inorganic origin. In the forming part 300', the filling material F is wrapped in the wrapper material strand W in the forming apparatus 400. The continuous rod CR can be filled with tobacco-based material or tobacco.

[0040] The forming apparatus 400 (Fig. 3, Fig. 4) comprises a format bar 401, a format tape 402 for carrying the wrapper material strand W along with the filling material F and the formed continuous rod CR, and folders 403, 404 for folding the edges of the wrapper material strand W around the filling material F. The format tape 402 moves along a forming channel 405, having shape of a groove in the format bar 401, then along the folders 403, 404 and a heating or cooling unit 406. The forming apparatus 400 comprises a glue unit 407 provided with a reservoir 408 and a glue nozzle 409 to apply glue to the edge of the wrapper material strand W, the glue nozzle 409 is located above the format bar 401 and is arranged to create a glue path C that becomes a glue seam joining the edges of the wrapper material W. The heating or cooling unit 406 is arranged to heat or cool the glue seam and is located above the continuous rod CR. Along with the glue nozzle 409 for creating the glue seam, the forming apparatus 400 can be provided with at least one glue nozzle 410, 411 for forming glue paths G1 , G2, which serve to immobilize the filling material F with respect to the wrapper material W.

[0041] The format tape 402 of the forming apparatus 400 is driven by a drive wheel 412. The transporting tape in the transporting apparatus 500 is driven similarly. The format tape 402 is wound around an inlet roller 413, an outlet roller 414, and winding rollers 415, 416, while passing along the forming channel 405 and carrying the wrapper material W, the filling material F, and the formed continuous rod CR. Fig. 5 schematically shows a fragment of the format tape 402 and the wrapper material W, in the view H indicated in Fig. 3. Glue paths G1 and G2 are shown as applied by the nozzles 410, 411 to the wrapper material W, and D1 and D2 denote paths along which glue contaminates the format tape 402 by permeating through the wrapper material W. During the machine's operation, contaminants accumulate along the paths D1, D2, causing the rods R being produced to deviate from required parameters, especially their geometry. Also shown is the path C, along which glue is applied from nozzle 409 in the forming apparatus 400 to create the glue seam sealing the wrapper material W.

[0042] Fig. 3 shows the location of a cleaning mechanism 1 for removing glue contaminations accumulating as a deposit on the format tape 402 as paths D1, D2. The cleaning mechanism 1 is located next to the drive wheel 412. In the first embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the cleaning mechanism 1 comprises a scraper 2, which has a support surface 2A and a scraping edge 2B (Fig. 7). The scraping edge 2B is arranged to remove contamination, and the support surface 2A is arranged to keep the scraper 2 in contact with the format tape 402, the contact is maintained along a support line 2F, perpendicular to the plane of the figure and parallel to the axis k of the scraper 2. The scraper 2 is mounted in a carrier element 4 that comprises a lower carrier element 5 and an upper carrier element 6, joined by a screw 7. Tightening the upper carrier element 6 onto the lower carrier element 5 fixes the scraper 2 in place, the scraper 2 is cylindrical, and the carrier elements 5, 6 have matching cylindrical clamping surfaces. The lower carrier element 5 is mounted on a slide 8 that moves along a guide 9 mounted to the body 3. Thus, the carrier element 4 and scraper 2 are slidably mounted on the body 3, and the carrier element 4 can also be part of the body 3. The cleaning mechanism 1 comprises a spring 10 acting on the carrier element 4 to press the scraper 2 against the surface 402A of the format tape 402, which partially serves as a reference surface 402K for both the cleaning mechanism 1 and the scraper 2. In the cleaning mechanism 1 , the force exerted by the spring 10 can be adjusted by means of a threaded adjusting element 11 screwed into the body 3. By using the spring 10, the scraper 2 remains in contact with the tape surface 402A even if the drive wheel 412 has radial run-out or if the format tape 402 varies in thickness. The cleaning mechanism can also be built without a spring.

[0043] The scraper 2 may be rotated in the carrier element 4 about its axis k, such that either the support surface 2A remains in contact with the tape surface 402A or the scraping edge 2B does. The support surface 2A is the scraper's cylindrical lateral surface. The scraper 2's angular position is described by angle a, showing the position of a cut-out 2C more clearly visible in Fig. 9. Any surface in the cleaning mechanism or machine can be used as the basis for measuring angle a. Both positions clean the format tape 402 effectively. However, to prolong the tape's exploitation time, it is more advantageous to keep the support surface 2A in contact with the tape surface 402A while the scraping edge 2B is at an operating distance d from the tape surface 402A, as shown in Fig. 7, i.e., the distance d is greater than zero. Moving the scraping edge 2B away by distance d ensures contaminants are removed while preventing damage to the tape surface 402A.

[0044] In Fig. 7, the scraping edge 2B is located ahead of the support line 2F relative to the tape's movement direction. In Fig. 7a, the scraper 2 is positioned such that the scraping edge 2B is behind the support line 2F in the tape's direction of travel (indicated by an arrow). Loosening the screw 7 makes it easy to adjust the operating distance d and re-secure the scraper 2 in the carrier element 4. The scraper 2 may have a cutout 2C (Fig. 9) like a screw head, aiding adjustment. When the operating distance d is adjusted, the offset e of the scraping edge 2B from the support line 2F also alters. The support surface 2A may be shaped differently (for example, flat). The body 3 of the cleaning mechanism 1 may include a mounting element 12 placed on a shaft 13 attached to the forming apparatus 400, the mounting element 12 can be pivoted on the shaft 13, allowing the cleaning mechanism 1 to be tilted out of its working position and thus moving the scraper 2 away from the format tape 402. A permanent connection of the body 3 and mounting element 12 to a rotary actuator on axis m is possible, enabling automatic tilting of the cleaning mechanism 1 , which can be moved cyclically into contact with the format tape 402 during machine operation to remove accumulated glue.

[0045] In the second embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the cleaning mechanism T comprises a scraper 2 mounted in a carrier element 4 that includes a lower carrier element 5 and an upper carrier element 6. The carrier element 4 is mounted to a bracket 3 by a flat spring 14, the active length f of the spring 14 is adjustable with sliding clamping elements 15 mounted to the mounting element 12, providing a regulated pressure of the scraper 2 on the format tape 11. Alteration of the scraping edge 2B position and tilting the cleaning unit T are as in the first embodiment.

[0046] Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the scraper 2, equipped with two scraping edges 2B forming edges of cavities 2D, these edges being parallel to the scraper's axis k. The cavity 2D in the depicted scraper is cylindrical, but different shapes can be used. Fig. 9a shows the scraper 2 in a flat projection. As described, rotating the scraper 2 about the axis k alters the operating distance d from the support surface 2A. In Fig. 9b and 9c, two different angular positions of the scraper 2 are shown, with the support line 2F indicated. In Fig. 9b, contact of the support surface 2A with the reference surface 402K (Fig. 11), which forms part of the tape surface 402A, is along a support line 2F comprising three segments. The segment of 2F between the cavities 2D ensures the format tape 402 is pressed between the scraping edges 2B and not deformed, thus, the indentation of the scraping edges 2B in the tape surface 402A is minimized. In Fig. 9c, contact is maintained over a single segment of the line 2F across the width of the format tape 402.

[0047] Fig. 10 shows the glue contamination paths D1 , D2 on the format tape 402. The scraper 2 is cylindrical, facilitating an alteration of its position along its axis within the carrier element 4 to align the scraping edges 2B with the contamination paths D1, D2. The scraping edge 2B and the support surface 2A (the active support surface creating line 2F) are offset with respect to each other in the direction of the scraping edge 2B or parallel to it, i.e., perpendicular to the tape's direction of travel. That offset is visible in Fig. 11, Fig. 12, and Fig. 13. The scraper 2 is provided with the cut-out 2C, by which the scraper 2 can be rotated in the carrier element 4 to adjust the operating distance d between the scraping edge 2B and the tape surface 402A.

[0048] For the scraper 2 to work, a reference surface is required on which the scraper 2 can rest to define the operating distance d. The reference surface can be chosen from the group comprising the transporting tape surface, the format tape surface, the deposit on the transporting tape, the deposit on the format tape, the surface of a roller guiding the transporting tape, the surface of a roller guiding the format tape, or a fixed element of the machine for manufacturing rods R.

[0049] Fig. 11 shows the scraper 2 and format tape 402 from Fig. 10 as viewed onto the tape surface 402A. The format tape 402 moves from bottom to top in the figure, K indicates the reference region where the scraper 2 rests along segments of the support line 2F, and 402K is the reference surface that is part of the tape surface 402A. The area marked C is the cleaning area in which the scraping edges 2B are located. Fig. 12 shows a situation in which the reference region K is located outside the format tape 402, the reference surface 412K is the peripheral surface of the drive wheel 412, and the scraper 2 has ends 2G of increased diameter. Fig. 13 shows a situation in which the reference region K is located outside the format tape 402 and outside the drive wheel 412, the reference surface 420K being any stationary element 420, with the scraper 2 having ends 2G of increased diameter. Fig. 14 shows a situation corresponding to the scraper in Fig. 9c, in which the reference region and the support line 2F have the width of the format tape 402.

[0050] In a third embodiment shown in Fig. 15, the cleaning mechanism 1” comprises a scraper 2', which has a flat portion on which the scraping edge 2B and support surface 2A are located. Adjusting the operating distance d of the scraping edge 2B from the format tape surface 402A is done by alteration of the position of the scraper 2' relative to a bracket 16. The scraper 2' can move by rotating, while its support surface 2A, whether cylindrical or flat, remains in contact with the tape surface 402A.

[0051] In a fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 16, the cleaning mechanism T” comprises a scraper 2” having a scraping portion 18 (Fig. 17), on which the scraping edge 2B is located. The operating distance d of the scraping edge 2B from the format tape surface 402A is adjusted by alteration of the scraper 2” position relative to a bracket 19. The scraper 2” is provided with a roller 20 whose lateral surface is the support surface 2A. The scraper 2” can move as in the first embodiment, while the support surface 2A remains in contact with the tape surface 402A.

[0052] To begin removing deposit from the transporting tape 402 of the tobacco industry machine, the support surface 2A is moved toward the reference surface K so that the scraper's scraping edge 2B is located above the surface of the transporting tape at the operating distance d. Next, the operating distance d between the scraping edge 2B and the transporting tape surface is set, then the machine is started, and the deposit is removed from the transporting tape by means of the scraper's scraping edge 2B.

Claims

Patent claims1 . A machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R), comprising a cleaning mechanism (1, 1', 1”, 1'”) comprising a body (3), a scraper (2, 2', 2”) having a scraping edge (2B), a transporting tape (402) wound around a roller (413, 414), characterized in that the cleaning mechanism (1, 1', 1”, 1'”) has a support surface (2A) arranged to rest against a reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K), and furthermore the cleaning mechanism (1, 1', 1”, 1'”) is arranged so that, when the support surface (2A) rests against the reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K) along a support line (2F), an operating distance (d) is maintained between the scraping edge (2B) and the surface (402A) of the transporting tape (402).

2. The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating distance (d) is greater than zero.

3. The machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the scraper (2) is arranged so that an alteration of the scraper's mounting angle (a) alters the operating distance (d).

4. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K) is located outside the cleaning area of the transporting tape (402).

5. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the scraping edge (2B) and the support surface (2A) are offset relative to each other in the direction of the scraping edge (2B) or a direction parallel thereto.

6. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the operating position, the scraping edge (2B) is at a distance (e) from the support line (2F).

7. The machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the distance (e) alters along with an alteration of the operating distance (d).

8. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises an elastic element (14, 10) for pressing the support surface (2A) against the reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K).

9. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the scraper (2) is in the form of a rod provided with at least one cavity (2D), whose edge located on the rod's circumference and parallel to its axis (k) constitutes the scraping edge (2B).

10. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the cleaning mechanism (1, T, 1”, T”) is arranged to tilt so as to move the scraper (2) away from the transporting tape (402).11 . The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the reference surface (402A, 412K, 420K) is a surface selected from a group comprising the surface of the transporting tape, the surface of the format tape, the surface of the deposit on the transporting tape, the surface of the deposit on the format tape, the surface of the roller guiding the transporting tape,the surface of the roller guiding the format tape, or a fixed element of a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R).

12. A scraper for removing deposit from a transporting tape (402) of a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R), characterized in that the scraper (2) has a support surface (2A) arranged to rest against a reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K), and furthermore is arranged such that, when the support surface (2A) rests against the reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K), an operating distance (d) is maintained between a scraping edge (2B) and a surface (402A) of the transporting tape (402).

13. A method for removing deposit from a transporting tape (402) of a machine for manufacturing tobacco industry rods (R), comprising steps in which the support surface (2A) is moved toward the reference surface (402K, 412K, 420K) so that the scraper's scraping edge (2B) is located above the surface (402A) of the transporting tape (402) at an operating distance (d), the operating distance (d) between the scraping edge (2B) and the surface of the transporting tape (402) is set, the tobacco industry machine is started, and the deposit is removed from the transporting tape (402) by means of the scraping edge (2B) of the scraper (2).

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